Away in a Manger Meaning – Inspires us Still Today
Away in a Manger is a special Christmas Carol that is a lullaby. Many Christmas carols are bathed in so many different legends that separating fact from legend becomes almost impossible. Such is the case with Away in a Manger tells the story of baby Jesus lying in a manger that first Christmas night.
Along with “Jesus Loves Me,” “Away in a Manger” is one of the first songs that Christians teach children in Sunday school or church. With only three short verses and a very simple tune, it is no small wonder that little ones learn it long bethey can read. The beautiful and serene picture painted in the carol’s lyrics defines “peace on Earth” better than most books or sermons.
Away in a Manger: Early History
In 1887, American hymn writer James R. Murray entitled the tune to “Away in a Manger” as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn.” Murray further stated in his popular songbook, Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses, that Martin Luther had not only written “Away in a Manger,” but had sung it to his children each night before bed.
As the song spread across a growing America and people began to sing it at home, in churches, and at schools, they often envisioned legions of German mothers rocking their babies to sleep each night with the strains of “Away in a Manger.” As the song became more popular, some news reports even trumpeted the song’s Teutonic heritage and the powerful inspiration that obviously could come from only the great Luther himself.
Ironically, not only did German mothers of this era not sing, “Away in a Manger,” they had never heard it until the song arrived in Europe from its country of origin, the United States. Where Murray got his misinformation on Luther remains a mystery, yet because of his misinformation on Luther remains a mystery, yet because of his outstanding reputation as a writer and publisher, the story stuck.
Away in a Manger – Song History
James R. Murray studied at the Musical Institute in North Reading, Massachusetts, under legendary teachers such as Lowell Mason, George Root, William Bradbury, and George Webb. His teachers marked their student as one of the finest young musical minds they had ever encountered. Yet Murray didn’t stay the course in school. In 1862, in the midst of the American Civil War, Murray enlisted as an army musician. During the darkest days of the war he wrote his first song, “Daisy Deane.” Composed in a Virginia camp in 1863, the now forgotten ditty established Murray as a songwriter.
After the war ended and armed with a wealth of new material, Murray joined the Root and Cady publishing house in Chicago, Illinois, as editor of the Song Messenger. In 1881, Murray moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to work for the John Church Company, editing the Musical Visitor. He also took charge of the company’s publishing department. It was there that he happened upon “Away in a Manger.”
Two years before Murray had printed “Away in a Manger” in his children’s songbook, the General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America had published the song in their book Little Children’s Book listed no songwriter for the words to the song. The book stated that the tune – a much different one that used by Murray – had been provided by J. E. Clark.
In truth, the first two verses of “Away in a Manger” were no doubt written by an anonymous American sometimes in the mid-1800s. The song was probably passed down orally for years before it was picked up by the Lutheran editor. By the time it was first published, no one knew the identity of the composer.
In 1892, a man named Charles Hutchinson Gabriel become the music director of Chicago’s Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. A poet, composer, and editor, it was in the Windy City that Gabriel wrote a legion of hymns – eventually more than seven hundred.
The composer’s work included such standards as “Way of the Cross,” “My Savior’s Love,” “Higher Ground,” and “I Stand Amazed in the Presence.” It was while he was at Grace Church that Gabriel discovered not only the versions of “Away in a Manger” published by the Lutheran press and by James R. Murray, but also another, unkown version that contained a third verse. He published this new edition of the carol in Gabriel’s Vineyard Songs.
Throughout the next two decades the popularity of “Away in a Manger” grew, as did the myth surrounding Luther’s authorship of the piece. Illustrations were drawn and stories were told depicting Luther singing the song to German children. As the real author never came forward to dispute the growing legend, the facts of the carol’s origination became more and more diluted.
During World War 1, while Germany battle the United States, many groups began to sing the words to “Away in a Manger” with the old Scottish tune “Flow Gently Sweet Afton.” This rendition might well have been a protest against any and all things German. Yet soon after the war, when most Americans had again embraced the original tune, a new song-book, Words and Song, gave a man named Carl Mueller credit as the musical composer of the song. Where the Boston publisher came up with Mueller’s name is another unanswered question. Carl Mueller did not write the music to “Away in a Manger”; in fact, many believe that he didn’t even exist.
In 1945 as Americans again battled Germany in a world war, American writer Richard S. Hill sorted through the now seventy-year-old mystery concerning the carol’s origin. He determined that James R. Murray himself probably wrote the music long coupled with “Away in a Manger.”
Yet as Murray always took credit when he composed a song, it is doubtful that he would have deflected the credit to Martin Luther. It’s more likely that Murray was given the song and simply adapted the existing German-influenced melody into four-part harmony for his book. It also seems likely that Murray received the story of Martin Luther writing the piece from the person who originally gave him the song.
Whoever he or she is, the unknown songwriter probably didn’t live to see the song reach children the world over with its poignant message. Yet while the mystery of origination remains, the song’s message, depicting the precious moment when a Savior came to Earth bringing peace, joy, and hope, is so strong and profound that it leaped from a single night, from a single household, to become one of the world’s most beautiful Christmas messages in song. The picture that story paints is even more profound and riveting than that of Luther singing “Away in a Manger” in Deutsch to his children.
Away in a Manger Lyrics
Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars in the sky
Look down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing
The poor baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side
‘Til morning is nigh
Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there
Take us to heaven
To live with Thee there
Away in a Manger Chords
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