| Intro | (like verse 1) |
| Verse 1 | Sweet little Jesus Boy—they made you bawn in a manguh. Sweet little Holy Chil'—'didn't know who you wuz. |
| Bridge 1 | 'Didn't know you'd come to save us, Lawd, To take our sins away. Our eyes wuz blin'; we couldn't see. We didn't know who you wuz. |
| Verse 2 | Long time ago—you-- wuz bawn, Bawn in a manguh, sweet little Jesus Boy. |
| Special | De worl' treat you mean, Lawd, Treat me mean, too, But dat's how things is down heah; We didn't know who you is. |
| Verse 3 | You done tol' us how—We is a-tryin' Mastuh, you done show'd us how— Eb'n when you's dyin'. |
| Bridge 2 | Jus' seem like we can't do right, Look how we treated you. But please suh, fuhgive us, Lawd. We didn't know who you was. |
| Verse 1 | Sweet little Jesus Boy, bawn long time ago. Sweet little holy Chil'—and we didn't know who you wuz. (End) |