The Holly and the Ivy

Andy gave me this record years ago, when Kaitlin was little. It’s one of our favorites and we used to play it every Christams morning as we opened our presents.

After Kaitlin left home Christmas morning faded in significance…so I put the songs on a CD that we play on Christmas Eve as we drive around looking at the lights and then up to our favorite viewpoint in the mountains. Last Saturday as we were driving up Andy asked if I could understand the words. Hmm, part of the time, but a lot were missing. He said it didn’t matter to him, but I got curious. So last night I looked up all the lyrics and saved them as PDF files.

When I was searching for the lyrics to the last one, Watts Nativity Carol, I found this video before I found the lyrics:

Can you understand all the words? Does it make any difference?

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14 Responses to The Holly and the Ivy

  1. tammyj says:

    what a lovely tradition.
    and no. I cannot understand it all totally. the men’s voices seem easier to understand. but soon I just relax and listen to the overall beauty of it.
    thank you for sharing it here! XO

  2. Ginny Hartzler says:

    I have never heard this one. And I can’t understand a single word! But i find that at tmes, trying to understand the words will diminish the tune. So I like to just listen to a song a few times, then later find out the words. I like watching the Tabernacle Choir every year at Christmas on T.V.

    • Jean says:

      The funny thing is we never felt the need to look up the lyrics for all those years. And Andy still doesn’t care. But his question made me curious.

  3. Rose says:

    No, I could not understand at all…just a word here and there. I sure am glad I am not the only one.

  4. MadSnapper says:

    you have the same size curiosity bump as mine. a question is asked or one pops in my mind and I HAVE TO research the answer.. No, I can’t understand the words but their sound is beautiful. I am not a good one to ask this question because i don’t hear the words on about 90 percent of music. I hear the melody and the parts and the instruments and the tune sticks in my head. but never the words. bob is the opposite, he hears the words and knows all the words to hundreds of songs

    • Jean says:

      I don’t distinguish the instruments, but I remember the tune and some of the words. Enough for the songs to go through my head once in a while, and enough words that I can look up the rest if I want.

  5. Ann Thompson says:

    No I can’t understand any of the words. It’s nice to listen to though because it has such a soothing sound.

  6. I can’t understand them either. I’ve never enjoyed Christmas Caroles but that’s a lovely tradition.

  7. Myra Guca says:

    I can’t understand the lyrics, either, but it’s sure pretty. Normally not knowing would bother me, but no; it doesn’t interfere with my enjoyment.

    PS – Chucking at Sandra’s comment. I’m just like Bob, whereas Tom (the musician) could identify instruments, chords — and have no idea about the lyrics.

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