The Healing Journey

December 24, 2024

“Sweet Little Jesus Boy” is a spiritual Christmas song that was composed by Robert MacGimsey in 1934. The first singer to record it was Lawrence Tibbett, but over the years it has been sung by many others, including Robert Merrill, Casting Crowns, Andy Williams and Mahalia Jackson, who first popularized it in 1955.

When he was growing up in the South, MacGimsey learned to love black spirituals. An article in The Union Review said, “Born in Louisiana, MacGimsey was a lawyer who had a passion for composing what many people of his generation called ‘black music.’ MacGimsey was raised in the company of black domestic help, who gave him a rich background in the gospel mu­sic of the South. His childhood caregiver, Aunt Becky, would sing spirituals to Robert as a baby. His intent in writing ‘Sweet Little Jesus Boy’ was indeed to portray it as an American slave song. … MacGimsey wanted ‘Sweet Little Jesus Boy’ to echo the senti­ments of black Christians in the Civil War era. He once described his most famous song as more a meaning than a song: He pictured an aging black man whose life had been full of injustice ‘standing off in the middle of a field just giving his heart to Jesus in the stillness.’”

He was inspired to write his sorrowful hymn after walking through the streets of New York City on a snowy Christmas Eve and encountering the boisterous carousing of drunks in the bars, who seemed oblivious of the true meaning of the holiday. Many are still blind to the true meaning of why Jesus was born in Bethlehem and why he came for us, and MacGimsey’s song is as relevant today as it was 90 years ago.

Hear Mahalia Jackson sing “Sweet Little Jesus Boy.”

Sweet Little Jesus Boy

Sweet little Jesus boy, born in a manger,
Sweet little Holy Child, we didn’t know who You were.
Long time ago it seems You were born,
Born in a manager, Lord, sweet little Jesus boy,
Didn’t know You’d come to save us all
To take our sins away,
Our eyes were blind, we did not see,
We didn’t know who You were.
You have shown us how
And we are trying
Master, You have shown us how
Even as You were dying.
This world treats You mean, Lord
Treats me mean too,
But that’s how things are done down here,
We didn’t know it was You.
Didn’t know You’d come to save us all,
To take our sins away.
Our eyes were blind, we did not see
We didn’t know who You were.

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