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Chords and Lyrics for It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

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Music by Richard Willis
Words by Edmund Sears

VERSE 1

   Bb   Bb+  Eb     Bb 
It came up---on the midnight clear,

     Eb       C7      F 
That glorious song of old,

     Bb Bb+ Eb      Bb 
From angels bending near the earth,

   Eb          F7       Bb 
To touch their harps of gold: 

       D                 Gm 
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men 

     F            C7       F 
From heaven's all gracious King;" 

F7  Bb    Bb+ Eb     Bb 
The world in  solemn stillness lay 

   Eb       F7     Bb 
To hear the angels sing.  

  
VERSE 2

      Bb      Bb+ Eb     Bb 
Still through the cloven skies they come,

     Eb       C7      F 
With peaceful wings unfurled:

    Bb    Bb+   Eb       Bb 
And still their heavenly music floats 

     Eb      F7    Bb 
O'er all the weary world.

 D                Gm 
Above its sad and lowly plains 

     F       C7       F 
They bend on hovering wing,

F7  Bb Bb+ Eb       Bb 
And ev--er o'er its Babel sounds 

    Eb      F7     Bb 
The blessed angels sing.  

  
VERSE 3

    Bb   Bb+ Eb      Bb 
Yet with the woes of sin and strife 

    Eb        C7       F 
The world has suffered long;

  Bb    Bb+ Eb    Bb 
Beneath the angel strain have rolled 

    Eb       F7       Bb 
Two thousand years of wrong;

    D                Gm 
And man, at war with man, hears not 

    F         C7         F 
The love song which they bring;

F7 Bb  Bb+ Eb        Bb 
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,

    Eb       F7     Bb 
And hear the angels sing.  

  
VERSE 4

    Bb  Bb+ Eb         Bb 
And ye, beneath life's crushing load,

      Eb        C7      F 
Whose forms are bending low,

    Bb   Bb+ Eb      Bb 
Who toil a--long the climbing way 

     Eb      F7        Bb 
With painful steps and slow,

     D                 Gm 
Look now! for glad and golden hours 

     F       C7     F 
Come swiftly on the wing;

F7 Bb   Bb+ Eb     Bb 
O, rest beside the weary road 

    Eb       F7     Bb 
And hear the angels sing.  

  
VERSE 5

    Bb  Bb+ Eb       Bb 
For lo! the days are hast'ning on 

   Eb      C7        F 
By prophet bards foretold,

      Bb   Bb+ Eb   Bb 
When, with the ever circling years 

      Eb        F7     Bb 
Comes round the age of gold;

     D                Gm 
When peace shall over all the earth,

    F       C7        F 
Its ancient splendors fling,

F7  Bb  Bb+   Eb         Bb 
And the whole world give back the song,

      Eb      F7     Bb 
Which now the angels sing.

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Chords

Below is a list of all the chords in this song. Click on a chord to learn how to play the chord on a particular instrument.

Instrument Chords
Banjo Bb Major Bb Augmented C7 D Major Eb Major F Major F7 G Minor
Guitar Bb Major Bb Augmented C7 D Major Eb Major F Major F7 G Minor
Mandolin Bb Major Bb Augmented C7 D Major Eb Major F Major F7 G Minor
Piano Bb Major Bb Augmented C7 D Major Eb Major F Major F7 G Minor
Ukulele Bb Major Bb Augmented C7 D Major Eb Major F Major F7 G Minor

Sheet Music for It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Chords on this page may be simplified from the original version. View the sheet music for this title to see the original chords. The following sheet music is available for this title: