Johnny Mathis - What Child Is This? (Greensleeves) Columbia Records 1958

"What Child Is This?" is a popular Christmas carol written in 1865. At the age of twenty-nine, English writer William Chatterton Dix was struck with a sudden near-fatal illness and confined to bedrest for several months, during which he went into a deep depression. Yet out of his near-death experience, Dix wrote many hymns, including "What Child is This?", later set to the traditional English tune "Greensleeves."

Merry Christmas is the seventh album and first Christmas album by Johnny Mathis. Released in 1958 by Columbia Records (CL 1195/CS 8021), it was also the sixth original studio album by Mathis.

The album ranks highly among the many holiday albums released throughout the years due to its skillful blend of traditional Christmas carols ("Silent Night, Holy Night", "O Holy Night" and "The First Noel") with popular Christmas songs ("The Christmas Song", "White Christmas" and "Silver Bells"). As with a number of Mathis's previous albums, Percy Faith provided the album's musical direction.

In the first flush of his success, Mathis offered a safe popular music alternative to rock 'n' roll rebelliousness of Elvis Presley, also in the first flush of his success and born in the same year as Mathis. On this album, Mathis tries his hand at a Christmas song associated with Presley, "Blue Christmas".

What child is this?
Who meant to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping
Who angels greet with anthem sweet
While shepherds watch our keeping

This, this is Christ, the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
The babe, the Son of Mary

So bring him incense, gold and myrrh
Come peasant King to own him
The King of kings, salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him

This, this is Christ, the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
The babe, the Son of Mary

Nails fierce shall pierce him through
The cross be borne for me, for you
Hail, hail, the word made flesh
Obeyed the Son of Mary

This, this is Christ, the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
The babe, the Son of Mary

Praise Him, Son of joy
Joy to the risen Lord
Praise Him, Son of joy
Joy to the risen Lord

This, this is Christ the king
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
The babe, the Son of Mary

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