Joy to the World: The Pagans Sing!

There are so many songs for Christians during the holiday season, but something struck me about some of these songs. They are really about the God, not just the Christian God. I know many people filk these songs for Pagan viewpoints, but I am going to do a Pagan analysis of Joy to the World to show that busting out into song during this season doesn't have to mean memorizing a whole new set of lyrics. Enjoy!

Joy to the World Lyrics 

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
The God, the Lord of the Sun, is very present at this time.
Let earth receive her King;
Let's capitalize that Earth to show that She is Mother birthing her Lord son-lover.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
Get ready for the rebirth of the Sun and the Lord of the Grains...Spring is comin'!
And Heaven and nature sing,
Heaven is the sky, where the Sun lives. Nature is both Mother and the flora and fauna over which the God presides.
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
This references the Holly King's sovereignty coming to an end. The Oak King, who "saves" us from perpetual winter has returned to claim His throne.

Let men their songs employ;
Celebrate! Party on!
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Fields are where the God will grow for the Harvest. Floods generally happen in spring, when the snows melt. Everything else represents the whole of Nature.
Repeat the sounding joy,
Nature echos the celebrations of humankind, welcoming the Oak King.
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
If we look at "sin" as a violation of Nature or unkindness, then this is saying "Let's all be happy and forgive what has passed!"
Nor thorns infest the ground;
We would rather grow fruits and vegetables and grains, not thorny, inedibles.
He comes to make His blessings flow
A promise of the upcoming spring and future bounty of Harvest.
Far as the curse is found,
I would translate "curse" as the threat of unending winter and lack of food/Harvest. Essentially, these lines say that His light and promise of bounty/Harvest breaks the "curse" of barren Earth and endless Cold/Dark.
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
The God does tend to be a Justice-giver, so this fits very nicely with that idea.
And makes the nations prove
What land or people would survive without the Harvest or the Sun?
The glories of His righteousness,
The God is an ideal manifesting high principles for proper conduct, an example of how we should treat each other and the Earth.
And wonders of His love,
Beltaine is coming! :-)
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.