| Joy to the World | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Christmas carol |
| Written | 1719 |
| Text | Isaac Watts |
| Based on | Psalms 98 |
| Meter | 8.6.8.6 Common metre (C.M.) |
| Melody | "Antioch" by George Frideric Handel, arranged by Lowell Mason |
"Joy to the World" is an English Christmas carol. It was written in 1719 by the English minister and hymnwriter Isaac Watts, and its lyrics are a Christian reinterpretation of Psalm 98 and Genesis 3. The carol is usually sung to an 1848 arrangement by the American composer Lowell Mason.
Since the 20th century, "Joy to the World" has been the most-published Christmas hymn in North America. As of December 2009[update], it was published in 1387 hymnals in North America, according to the Dictionary of North American Hymnology.[1]