Silent Night

The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection EP (2007)

“Silent Night” is cover song recorded by Taylor for her first extended play, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, released on October 14, 2007.
Table of Contents

Background and Lyrical Theme

“Silent Night” (“Stille Nacht” in its original German) is one of the most well-known traditional Christmas carols sung around the world. The song was originally a poem written by pastor Joseph Franz Mohr and composed by his friend Franz Xaver Gruber in early 19th century Austria. Pastor Mohr desperately needed a carol for the Christmas Eve midnight mass that was only hours away, and he hoped Gruber – a school teacher as well as the church’s choir master and organist – could set his poem to music; he composed the melody in just a few hours on that Christmas Eve.

The melody used today (a slow, meditative lullaby or pastorale) is slightly different from Gruber’s original (a moderato tune in 6/8 time and siciliana rhythm), particularly in the final strain.

Taylor’s version omits the fourth and final verse of the initial version. Musically, it is also performed differently, replacing the instrumentation from piano to acoustic guitar. Furthermore, Taylor’s vocals are also faster than traditionally recorded for the song.

Live Performances

Taylor performed “Silent Night” twice. On November 28, 2007, she sang her rendition of the song at the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City. On December 25, 2007, her second performance aired during the Today Show.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Silent night, holy night
All is calm and all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

[Verse 2]
Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ the Saviour is born
Christ our Saviour is born

[Verse 3]
Silent night, holy night
Son of God
Love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord at thy birth
Jesus Lord at thy birth

[Outro]
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

Christ the Saviour is born

General Information
ArtistTaylor Swift
AlbumThe Taylor Swift Holiday Collection EP
ReleasedOctober 14, 2007
RecordedMay-August 2007
GenreCountry
Length3:32
LabelBig Machine Records
SongwriterFranz Xaver Gruber
ProducerNathan Chapman
Live Performance
Official Audio