Tag: Slaughter of the Innocents

Words for Holy Innocent’s

1          Herod’s high and mighty stand
            Showed the power at his command,
            Slaughtered children in the land:
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy,
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy,
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy on us.

2          Mary wept, she understood,
            Wept as every mother should,
            Ramah’s echo, death to good:
            Chorus

3          Surely force has had its day,
            Brutish whim and power’s display;
            Yet our actions hurt betray:
            Chorus

4          Seen on every paper’s page,
            Words of hate and fists of rage,
            Signs of greed in every age:
            Chorus

5          Anger still inflicts the pain,
            Each excuse is seen as lame,
            Yet again we bear the shame:
            Chorus

6          Till through this and every time
            People cease from heinous crime,
            Till with peace their actions rhyme:
            Chorus

VERSION IN SONGS FOR A NEW MILLENIUM (7 7 7 D and refrain)

1          Herod’s high and mighty stand
            Showed the power at his command,
            Slaughtered children in the land:
            Mary wept, she understood,
            Wept as every mother should,
            Ramah’s echo, death to good:
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy,
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy,
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy on us.

2          Surely force has had its day,
            Brutish whim and power’s display;
            Yet our actions truth betray:
            Seen on every paper’s page,
            Words of hate and fists of rage,
            Signs of greed in every age:
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy,
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy,
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy on us.

3          Anger still inflicts the pain,
            Each excuse is seen as lame,
            Yet again we bear the shame:
            Till through this and every time
            People cease from heinous crime,
            Till with peace their actions rhyme:
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy,
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy,
            Kyrie, Lord have mercy on us.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948)  From: Whatever name creed, No.28 (1999) & Songs for the new millennium.

Words © 1999, Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England copyright@stainer.co.uk . Please include any reproduction for local church use on your CCL Licence returns. All wider and any commercial use requires prior application to Stainer & Bell Ltd.

Tune: HOLY INNOCENTS (Ian Sharp) Whatever name creed, No.28

Holy Innocents Hymn – sadly still pertinent?

Holy Innocents – 28th December



1	Herod waiting, Herod watching, 
	Herod grasping, holding power, 
	Herod fearful for the future, 
	Herod counting every hour.

2	Now the thing that he was fearing:
	love and justice, peace and health
	here embodied in a person, 
	God incarnate, heaven's wealth.

3	This was more than he could stomach, 
	human wine skins tear and rend.
	Herod's dream had been confounded, 
	human power had met its end.

4	Many children now were crying,
	temper triumphed, babies dead
	Mary, Joseph made an exit,
	every step was filled with dread. 

5	Into exile they were driven, 
	fear would ripple through each life:
	Jesus challenged vested interests.
	Gracious love fuelled hate and strife.

6	And the children still are crying, 
	forced to war and harmed by hate.
	Still our world is deaf to hear them, 
	still our loving comes too late.

Andrew Pratt  Words © 2010 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England copyright@stainer.co.uk . Please include any reproduction for local church use on your CCL Licence returns. All wider and any commercial use requires prior application to Stainer & Bell Ltd
Metre: 8 7 8 7 Tune: ALL FOR JESUS