Cover art for I Saw Three Ships by Christmas Songs

I Saw Three Ships

Christmas Songs
Track 31 on A New Age Christmas 
1 viewer76.3K views

I Saw Three Ships Lyrics

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning

And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day in the morning?

Our Savior Christ and His lady
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
Our Savior Christ and His lady
On Christmas Day in the morning

Pray, wither sailed those ships all three
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
Pray, wither sailed those ships all three
On Christmas Day in the morning

O, they sailed into Bethlehem
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
O, they sailed into Bethlehem
On Christmas Day in the morning

And all the bells on Earth shall ring
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And all the bells on Earth shall ring
On Christmas Day in the morning
And let us all rejoice and sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And let us all rejoice as sing
On Christmas Day in the morning
And let us all rejoice and sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And let us all rejoice as sing
On Christmas Day in the morning

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

This song bio is unreviewed
Genius Annotation

“I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In” (shortened to “I Saw Three Ships”) is a popular Christmas carol from England, the earliest printed version of the carol being from the 17th century, possibly from Derbyshire.

The “ships” mentioned in the carol could be a metaphor for the camels the Three Wise Men rode on their way to Bethlehem, as camels are commonly referred to as the “ships of the desert.”

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

A New Age Christmas (1996)
  1. 1.
    Merry Gentlemen
  2. 2.
    Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  3. 3.
    White Christmas
  4. 4.
    Oh Tannenbaum
  5. 5.
    Jesus Joy (Missing Lyrics)
  6. 6.
    Oh Come Emmanuel
  7. 7.
    Silent Night
  8. 8.
    Here We Come a Caroling
  9. 9.
    It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
  10. 10.
    Oh Holy Night
  11. 11.
    The Twelve Days of Christmas
  12. 12.
    A Virgin Un-Spotted
  13. 13.
    Noel (Missing Lyrics)
  14. 14.
    Joy to the World
  15. 15.
    Away in a Manger
  16. 16.
    Deck The Halls / I Saw Three Ships / Good King Wenceslas (Medley)
  17. 17.
    Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
  18. 18.
    What Child Is This?
  19. 19.
    Carol of the Bells / Ding Dong Merrily on High (Medley)
  20. 20.
    Sleigh Ride
  21. 21.
    Little Drummer Boy
  22. 22.
    Tell It on the Mountain
  23. 23.
    Coventry Carol
  24. 24.
    Three Kings
  25. 25.
    Nutcracker (Missing Lyrics)
  26. 26.
    Up on the Rooftop
  27. 27.
    Angels We Have Heard on High
  28. 28.
    Prepare Thyself Zion (Missing Lyrics)
  29. 29.
    Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
  30. 30.
    Gabriel’s Message / Masters in the Hall (Medley) (Missing Lyrics)
  31. 31.
    I Saw Three Ships
  32. 32.
    Oh Come All Ye Faithful / Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Medley)
Credits
Songs That Interpolate I Saw Three Ships
I Saw Three Ships Covers
Tags
PopIn EnglishHolidayChristmas
Comments
Sign Up And Drop Knowledge 🤓
Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love.
  翻译：