5th Day of Christmas: Sweet Little Jesus Boy

Many people think that today's Christmas song is an African-American spiritual that dates back to the slave fields of the South. Actually, the song was written by Robert McGimsey on Christmas Eve 1932. As an African-American who grew up in the South, he knew well the genre of the spiritual and wrote this song in that style. The fact that so many people think it actually is a slave spiritual shows who effective he was in composing in this style.

According to the December 24, 2001 devotional from Our Daily Bread, McGimsey was walking home to his New York apartment after attending a Christmas Eve service at his church. The service had been an uplifting experience but he noticed that has we walked by several private clubs, he could hear people shouting and swearing. Some were so drunk that they were passed out on the sidewalk in front. This experience made McGimsey wonder if these people were aware of the significance of what took place on that first Christmas day. Did they not know who Jesus was?

The song itself takes the form of an apology to Jesus for us not recognizing the significance of his birth.

"Sweet Little Jesus Boy"

Sweet little Jesus Boy,
they made you be born in a manger.
Sweet little Holy Child,
didn't know who You was.

Didn't know you come to save us, Lord;
to take our sins away.
Our eyes was blind, we couldn't see,
we didn't know who You was.


Long time ago, you was born.
Born in a manger low,
Sweet little Jesus Boy.

The world treat You mean, Lord;
treat me mean, too.
But that's how things is down here,
we didn't know t'was You.

You done showed us how,
we is trying.
Master, You done showed us how,
even when you's dying.

Just seem like we can't do right,
look how we treated You.
But please, sir, forgive us Lord,
we didn't know 'twas You.

Sweet little Jesus Boy,
born long time ago.
Sweet little Holy Child,
and we didn't know who You was....