[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QsR-D1HYnk&feature=BF&list=QL&index=15"]
Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
You could have found a version that has the third verse! Actually, I can't find one on youtube that isn't some OTT choral arrangement with excessive changes and additional bits designed to show off the quality of the choir.
Why do people miss it off? it's the best verse (perhaps that's a case of absence making the heart fonder). There's also a load of versions that drop the pace and triumphalism of the song - the version above does it as well. I can't understand how it can be a laid back song - it's full of excitement and celebration.
Found a version with the third verse that doesn't muck about with adding stuff to enable showing off too much: http://vimeo.com/8120713
Ah Si. A comment full of Christmas joy ;-)
Thanks for the link