Deck the Halls

GodTube Staff

"Deck the Halls" is a classical Christmas, yuletide, and New Years' carol. The music is Welsh dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, "Nos Galan", while the English lyrics, penned by the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant, are from 1862. This carol is an ode to the preparations of Christmas and the celebration of Jesus' birth. Discover the lyrics, background story and video performances of this beloved Christmas carol below.

Deck the Halls Lyrics

Deck the hall with boughs of holly,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
'Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Fill the mead cup, drain the barrel,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Troul the ancient Christmas carol,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

See the flowing bowl before us,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Follow me in merry measure,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
While I sing of beauty's treasure,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Laughing, quaffing all together,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Songwriters Thomas Oliphant
Published by Public Domain

The Story Behind Deck the Halls

According to Wikipedia, The English-language lyrics were written by the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant. They first appeared in 1862, in volume 2 of Welsh Melodies, a set of four volumes authored by John Thomas, including Welsh words by John Jones (Talhaiarn) and English words by Oliphant. The repeated "fa la la" goes back to the earlier Welsh and may derive from medieval ballads.

The phrase "'Tis the season", from the lyrics, has become synonymous with the Christmas and holiday season. A similar archaic contraction is "'Twas the night before Christmas", from the first line of the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas"

Biblical Inspiration for "Deck the Halls"

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." ~ Proverbs 17:22

"Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” ~ Psalm 126:2

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." ~ Romans 15:13

Our Favorite Performance of "Deck the Halls"

Collection of Popular Christmas Hymns and Carols:

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
The First Noel
Joy To The World
O Holy Night
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Silent Night
O Come All Ye Faithful
Go Tell It On The Mountain
What Child Is This
O Little Town of Bethlehem
We, Three Kings of Orient, Are
Ave Maria
Away in a Manger
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Do You Hear What I Hear?
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
The Little Drummer Boy
Deck the Halls

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Deck the Halls, another beautiful arrangement