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Free chord chart

Joy to the World

Words: Isaac Watts, 1719 · Tune "Antioch," arr. Lowell Mason, 1848 · Public domain

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Verse 1

GJoy to the Cworld! The DLord is Gcome;

Glet Cearth Dreceive her GKing;

Glet ev'ry Cheart Gprepare Dhim Groom,

Gand heav'n and nature sing,

Gand Dheav'n and nature D7sing,

Gand heav'n, and Dheav'n Gand D7nature Gsing.

Verse 2

GJoy to the Cearth! The DSavior Greigns;

Glet Cmen Dtheir songs em-Gploy;

Gwhile fields and Cfloods, Grocks, hills Dand Gplains

Grepeat the sounding joy,

Gre-Dpeat the sounding D7joy,

Grepeat, re-Dpeat Gthe D7sounding Gjoy.

Verse 3

GHe rules the Cworld with Dtruth and Ggrace,

Gand Cmakes Dthe nations Gprove

Gthe glories Cof Ghis right-Deous-Gness,

Gand wonders of his love,

Gand Dwonders of his D7love,

Gand wonders, Dwon-Gders D7of his Glove.

GAnd Cmakes  the Dnations Gprove

GThe  glories Cof GHis Drighteousness,

GAnd  wonders  of  His  love,

GAnd Dwonders  of  His D7love,

GAnd  wonders, Dwonders  of D7His Glove.

Chords in the key of G

About this hymn

Words
Isaac Watts, 1719
Music
ANTIOCH, attributed to George Frideric Handel, arranged by Lowell Mason, 1836
Meter
8.6.8.6 (Common Meter, with repeat)
In
2,053 hymnals
Scripture
Psalm 98, Isaiah 9:1-7, Luke 2:1-20

The story

Isaac Watts published this in 1719 in his book of psalm paraphrases, under the heading about the Messiah's coming and kingdom. Here is the thing most people never notice. It is not a nativity song. It is a Christian reading of Psalm 98, with some imagery out of Genesis 3. There are no shepherds in it, no angels, no manger. Lowell Mason published the ANTIOCH arrangement in 1836 and credited the melody to Handel. Handel scholars have generally treated the resemblance to Messiah as coincidence, while allowing that both may go back to something older. It is the most published Christmas hymn in North America, and at 2,053 hymnals the number backs that up.

Where it fits in a service

Often used as the opening hymn on a Christmas Sunday, or as a processional. The tempo and the descending opening line make it a good song to start a service standing.

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All 21 in one printed book

The Hymn & Carol Chord Chart Book puts 21 hymns and carols on paper, chords over the words, with a lead sheet and the story behind each one. Full-size pages for the music stand.

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Print this hymn

The same chart as a clean one-page PDF — with large-print lyrics, a guitar chart and a Nashville number chart of the same hymn.

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Why these chords work

Gospel Piano Chords by Ear is the book behind these charts — how to hear the I, IV and V, and how to move between them without reading music.

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Learn it with Henry

Online lessons, by ear, from the author of the book — a camera on the keys and this hymn ready for Sunday.

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