The song describes how word of the birth of the baby Jesus is relayed to higher upon ever higher authority. The message originates with the night wind, which whispers it to a small lamb. The lamb reports the message to his shepherd boy, who in turn conveys the news to the mighty king. The king eventually spreads the message to the "people everywhere". In each verse, the message is slightly modified, in a similar fashion to the game of Telephone.
The song diverges from the Biblical account. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod the Great (king at the time), far from welcoming news of the child's birth, ordered Jesus killed, forcing Jesus and his parents Mary and Joseph to flee, although Matthew 2:8 says, "And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” At the same time, the lyrics do not specify that Herod is the king in question, nor that the events necessarily take place in Judea. Also, the gospel does not state that the shepherds saw a star, only the Magi.
The song describes how word of the birth of the baby Jesus is relayed to higher upon ever higher authority. The message originates with the night wind, which whispers it to a small lamb. The lamb reports the message to his shepherd boy, who in turn conveys the news to the mighty king. The king eventually spreads the message to the "people everywhere". In each verse, the message is slightly modified, in a similar fashion to the game of Telephone.
The song diverges from the Biblical account. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod the Great (king at the time), far from welcoming news of the child's birth, ordered Jesus killed, forcing Jesus and his parents Mary and Joseph to flee, although Matthew 2:8 says, "And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” At the same time, the lyrics do not specify that Herod is the king in question, nor that the events necessarily take place in Judea. Also, the gospel does not state that the shepherds saw a star, only the Magi.