I was cleaning up a bit today, and I got my first inkling that winter is about here, which sent my musical senses into a code red… and green. Yep, that’s right. It’s officially time for me to be in Christmas music lock-down mode.
For some reason, I tend to beat the rush when it comes to Christmas music. I always bust it out well before Thanksgiving (sometimes even in October), and I think I do this for a couple reasons.
1.) Right now, I have roughly 15 hours of Christmas music on my iTunes. I don’t know how this happened. I just chalk it up to the magic of Christmas. But since I have such an excess, I feel guilty if I don’t divulge into this music for more than one month.
2.) Christmas music is generally happy, and I’d like to think that I’m generally happy, so it mixes well.
3.) If I beat everyone else in my Christmas spirit, I feel like a trend-setter.
So for these reasons, I humbly lower my musical tastes for the next few months and bid farewell to those quality bands like Mumford and Sons, Freelance Whales, and Horse Feathers that I was just beginning to like (check them out if you haven’t heard them before!). I’ll hear them next year, I suppose, but for now I am on a musical mission that ends in childbirth (aka Christmas).
So to get to the actual point of this post, one of my favorite Christmas songs is one that catches even myself off guard. It isn’t a traditional Christmas hymn, nor is it a silly children’s melody. It isn’t even by an old school crooner like Bing or Nat King Cole. It’s actually a beautiful melody by a self-proclaimed agnostic.
Have you ever heard “The Christmas Song” by Dave Matthews? Even huge fans of Dave Matthews raise their eyebrows when I tell them about this song, which is probably his most under-rated. In this song, Dave beautifully recounts the birth, life, and death of Christ surrounded by a central theme… love. I find it pretty incredible that an agnostic can write such a worshipful piece of art and catch the message of the Gospel better than many in the Church.
As we set our hearts towards this season, which I know can be stressful, crazy, and (I dare say) materialistic, I think it would do justice to be reminded what this season is really all about. And it’s not about getting or giving presents, it’s not about family, and it’s not even about figgy pudding. It’s about Christ. It’s about God becoming a human, which is one of the most miraculous events the world has ever known.
So here’s what I’d love for you to do. Below is a video of the song. Listen to it, read the lyrics I posted below, and enjoy the love.
She was his girl; he was her boyfriend
She’d be his wife and make him her husband
A surprise on the way, any day, any day
One healthy little giggling dribbling baby boy
The wise men came, three made their way
To shower him with love
While he lay in the hay
Shower him with love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around
Not very much of his childhood was known
Kept his mother Mary worried
Always out on his own
He met another Mary who for a reasonable fee,
less than reputable was known to be.
His heart full of love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around
When Jesus Christ was nailed to his tree
Said “oh, Daddy-o, I can see how it all soon will be
I came to shed a little light on this darkening scene
Instead I fear I’ve spilled the blood of our children all around”
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children’s all around
So I’m told, so the story goes
The people he knew were
Less than golden hearted
Gamblers and Robbers
Drinkers and Jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me
Like you and me
Rumors insisted he soon would be
For his deviations
Taken into custody
By the authorities less informed than he.
Drinkers and Jokers all soul searchers
Searching for love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around
Preparations were made
For his celebration day
He said “eat this bread and think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children’s all around
The blood of our children all around
Father up above, why in all this anger do you fill
Me up with love, love, love
Love love love
Love love was all around
Father up above, why in all this hatred do you fill
Me up with love, fill me love love love
Love love love
all you need is love
you can’t buy me love
Love love love
Love love
And the blood of our children’s all around
Honesty is Poetry 