Away In A Manger

Selah sings this nineteenth-century carol in its full four-verse form, including two verses many recordings leave out entirely, opening with the familiar first: "away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head."

"Away in a manger, sweet emblem of love, sent down from the Father, precious gift from above, I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky, and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh" shifts the carol from narration into direct address — a child speaking straight to the infant in the manger.

"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" extends that request outward to every child, not just the one singing, echoing Jesus' own instruction not to keep children from coming to Him.

"And take us to heaven to live with Thee there," repeated to close the carol, pushes the simple bedtime prayer all the way out to its largest possible request before the song folds back into its familiar opening verse one final time.