The Candlelight Was Burning Low is a quiet and pensive original Christmas carol describing a dark and cold winter before Jesus Christ was born on Christmas morning. The text paints a picture of the world waiting in quiet darkness for light, unaware that it’s savior and eternal light is about to be born.
This carol would make a wonderful addition to an Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols or a candlelight prayer service.
Verse 1
A world accustomed to the dark
And barren trees with brittle bark,
Awaiting in the winter stark,
In Bethlehem long ago.
The windows all were frozen closed,
No hint of spring or warmth exposed,
They shivered as the candles glowed,
In Bethlehem long ago.
Chorus
The candlelight was almost gone,
On Christmas night awaiting dawn.
The candlelight was burning low
In Bethlehem long ago.
Verse 2
Yet in a field close nearby,
A brilliant light flashed through the sky.
The shepherds awoke with a cry
In Bethlehem long ago.
An angel voice pierced through the night,
The shepherds startled by the sight,
Heard the good news in delight
In Bethlehem long ago.
Chorus
The candlelight was almost gone,
On Christmas night awaiting dawn.
The candlelight was burning low
In Bethlehem long ago.
Verse 3
In a manger by an inn,
Where once before just sheep had been,
A young couple found warmth within,
In Bethlehem long ago.
A single star shown overhead,
Our savoir slept and laid his head
Upon a soft and straw-filled bed
In Bethlehem long ago.
Chorus
The candlelight was almost gone,
On Christmas night awaiting dawn.
The candlelight was burning low
In Bethlehem long ago.