well i remember how the snow fell in december and angels flew in pageants and in dreams and i came in at six o clock from a long hard day of playing to the warmth of mama s cookin or was it the warmth of mama s love there were cardboard pirate ships and mud puddle seas and the backyard was a battleground for cowboys when daddy drug me out of bed on early sunday morning i remember how he smiled at me and said he said rise rise and shine the day is coming on and you know the night is gone so rise i remember how the shepherds lay in slumber and the angels came and broke them from their dreams as mary raised her weary head and joseph stood there grinning the world awoke to the coming of a king there were haystacks in his palace and a manger was his throne as a hush fell on the little town of david and the hillside never shined so bright as early christmas morning you could almost hear the very heavens sing  they sang rise rise and shine the sun is coming in and the morning light is shining in your eyes oh rise and shine the day is coming on and you know the night is gone so rise well i remember how the sunlight turned to thunder and the people ran for shelter from the rain and the curtain tore and the saints awoke and the whole earth seemed to tremble from the fury of god s anger or was it the fury of his love there were shadows on the tomb there in the garden and the mist was rising slowly through the trees when mary saw the silhouette on early easter morning i remember how he smiled at her and said he said rise rise and shine the sun is coming in and the morning light is shining in your eyes oh rise and shine the day is coming on and you know the night is gone so rise 