What You Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby Lyrics

Mary, Mary, had a little baby,
Oo pretty little baby,
Oo pretty little baby
Glory be to the newborn king.

Star a shinin', shinin' on the manger,
Oo, shinin' on the manger
Oo, welcoming a stranger
Glory be to the newborn king.

Mary, Mary, who was here who knew him,
Oo, did anybody know him,
The ox and the donkey they bowed right down before him,
Glory be to the newborn king.

Mary, what you gonna name your baby?
Oo, pretty little baby,
Mm, pretty little baby
Glory be to the newborn king.

Some call him Manuel, think I'll call him Jesus,
Mm, yes think I'll call him Jesus
Mm, my pretty little Jesus
Glory be to the newborn king.
1 Meaning

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Cover art for What You Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby lyrics by Joan Baez

In her 1st LP Joan Baez sang the lyrics as: http://vi-phi.narod.ru/Baez/1959_Folksingers_Round_Harvard_Square/06_Virgin_Mary.htm

Here we see that 3 wise men and all that jazz came after Mary chose to call the baby not anything plain like Jesus (a name some backwoods carpenter could offer), but an odd name of Saviour. I think that was the wish of the folk author to see Mary's role more spiritual.

I am quite fond of this early Joan, it was sang so catching - beyond compare. Shame we never heard it in Soviet Union as long as it lasted... this song was too religious, you see.

 
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