We Three Kings of Orient Are

Album: The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (1862)
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Songfacts®:

  • This carol was written in 1857 by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins. He wrote both words and music as part of a Christmas pageant for the General Theological Seminary in New York City. As it proved popular within his circle of family and friends, Hopkins decided to publish the carol in 1862.
  • The Beach Boys recorded this carol for their 1964 The Beach Boys' Christmas Album. At 4:04, it was the longest song the Beach Boys recorded in the entire 1960s.
  • Fun fact: The Bible does not say there were only three wise men. We assume that they were a trio because of the three gifts that were given: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

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