G D G C D G
Now the holly bears a berry as white as the milk,
G D G C D G
And Mary bore Jesus, who was wrapped up in silk:
G C G C G
And Mary bore Jesus our Saviour to be,
D G Am D G
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
D G
Holly, holly,
D G Am D G
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
G D G C D G
Now the holly bears a berry as green as the grass,
G D G C D G
And Mary bore Jesus, who died on the cross:
G C G C G
And Mary bore Jesus our Saviour to be,
D G Am D G
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
D G
Holly, holly,
D G Am D G
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
G D G C D G
Now the holly bears a berry as black as the coal,
G D G C D G
And Mary bore Jesus, who died for us all:
G C G C G
And Mary bore Jesus our Saviour to be,
D G Am D G
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
D G
Holly, holly,
D G Am D G
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
G D G C D G
Now the holly bears a berry, as blood it is red,
G D G C D G
Then trust we our Saviour, who rose from the dead:
G C G C G
And Mary bore Jesus our Saviour to be,
D G Am D G
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
D G
Holly, holly,
D G Am D G
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
This carol was so named because the melody and the first 3 verses were first transcribed in the 19th century
from the singing of a villager in St. Day (also Sans Day, or St. They - named after a Breton saint venerated
in Cornwall) in the parish of Gwennap, Cornwall. A 4 stanza version in Cornish was subsequently published
('Ma gron war'n gelinen').Pastor Peter Prange also pointed out that the village of St. Day in Cornwall is
named after the saint.
