"Silent Night" (German: "Stille Nacht") is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics, "Stille Nacht", were written in Salzburg, Austria by priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber. In 1859, John Freeman Young (second Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Florida) published the English translation that is most frequently sung today. The version of the melody that is generally sung today differs slightly (particularly in the final strain) from Gruber's original, which was a sprightly, dance-like tune in 6/8 time, as opposed to the slow, meditative lullaby-esque version generally sung today. Today, the lyrics and melody are in the public domain.
A version recorded by Bing Crosby is one of the fewer than thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) copies worldwide.
Lyrics[]
Silent night
Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin
Mother and Child
Holy Infant,
So, tender and mild
Sleep, in heavenly peace
Sleep, in heavenly peace
Silent night
Holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
Christ the Saviour is born
Christ the Saviour is born
Silent night
Holy night
Son of God love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord at Thy birth
Jesus Lord at Thy birth
Appearances in Christmas specials[]
- Gifts from the Air
- Peace on Earth
- 3 Godfathers
- John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
- Ziggy's Gift
- The Smurfs' Christmas Special
- Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night
- Hello Kitty & Friends: "Santa's Missing Hat"
- Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas
- A Goof Troop Christmas: Have Yourself a Goofy Little Christmas - Sung by Goofy, Pete, and their families at the end of the episode.
- Disney's Very Merry Christmas Songs - Living Voices cover plays over clips from the Ava Maria segment of Fantasia (1940).
- Words and Pictures: "I Want a Cat" - Sung at the end by Sophie Aldred and the children of Grange First School, Ealing with Bob Foster on guitar.
- Alpha's Magical Christmas
- Santa's Rockin'!
- The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation
- NCIS: "Newborn King"
- Kids Sing Christmas
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: "I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger"
- The Vicar of Dibley: "Winter"
- Teamo Supremo: "Happy Holidays, Mr. Gruff!"
- I Didn't Do It: "Merry Miss Sis"
- A Frozen Christmas - Covered by an unknown female singer. It is the second of the two songs (along with the cover of "Joy to the World") heard during the 16 minutes of Christmas display in a virtual snow globe at the ending.
- A Pentatonix Christmas Special
- Lukas Storyteller: "The True Meaning of Christmas" (2018) - One of the four mashup songs
- Christmas... Again?! - Sung in Spanish during one of the time loops.
- The Snoopy Show: "Happiness Is Holiday Traditions" - Lucy mentions that this is one of her favorite Christmas carols and leads her brother Linus and their friends Schroeder and Pig-Pen in singing it.
Album releases[]
- Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm Singing Songs of Christmas (1965)
- John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
- Merry Christmas With The Smurfs (1983)
- Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
- A Flintstones Motown Christmas (1996)
- Arthur's Perfect Christmas (2000)
- A Looney Tunes Sing-A-Long Christmas (2006)
- Rugrats: Holiday Classics (2006) - Sung by Tommy Pickles.
- 25 Favorite Christmas Songs! (2009)