This is just a fun blog to share some of my favorite
Christmastime songs with you and to get you thinking about lyrics and how they
can bring meaning to music. Song lyrics are
like poems, and songs are a marriage of words and music, two of my most
favorite things.
The lyrics of Christmas and holiday songs are special. From the spiritual to the fun loving, all of
them evoke certain images and feelings in anyone. Even those who aren’t religious/spiritual,
enjoy these songs because they resonate with joy, fun, love and hope.
I have a lot of favorite Christmas carols and songs. Some are favorites because of childhood
memories. Others are favorites for
personal or spiritual reasons.
A Christmas Carol favorite is Away in a Manger. As a small child I loved that there was a
lullaby for Jesus. I remember singing it
to my dolls at Christmas when I got ready for bed.
My parents had a number of albums of Christmas from different
countries. From the Christmas in England
album I learned that there was another melody for Away in a Manger. This
alternate melody has become my favorite.
The lyric remains the same.
Away in a manger
no crib for a bed
The little Lord
Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the
sky looked down where he lay
The little Lord
Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are
lowing, the poor baby wakes
But little Lord
Jesus no crying He makes.
I love thee Lord
Jesus look down from the sky
And stay by my
cradle ‘til morning is nigh.
Be near me Lord
Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me
forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear
children in Thy tender care
And fit us for
heaven to live with Thee there.
What tremendous memories a song and its lyric can
retrieve from hidden secrets that lie deep within each of us. I find myself singing this song when I feel
stressed or out of touch with my spiritual self. There is a calm that comes from placing
yourself as a child at the feet of ones
God.
My favorite Christmas fun song is Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer. This is the first holiday special
I remember watching on television when I was little back in the 60’s.
Nowadays, I love to sing this song with my daughter. We’ve been signing it since she was tiny. We always start by singing out the names of
the reindeer, that’s her favorite part.
You know Dasher
and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid
and Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall
the most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolph the
red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny
nose
And if you ever
saw it
You would even say
it glowed.
All of the other
reindeer
Used to laugh and
call him names
They never let
poor Rudolph
Join in any
reindeer games.
Then one foggy
Christmas Eve
Santa came to say,
“Rudolph with your
nose so bright
Won’t you guide my
sleigh tonight?”
Then how the
reindeer loved him
As they shouted
out with glee,
“Rudolph the
red-nosed reindeer
You’ll go down in
history.”
Who doesn’t enjoy this simple story? It’s one of many songs that were turned into
television specials for children. Some
others include Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. These started out as fun children’s songs for
the holiday and became endearing, long lasting holiday television shows. If not for the gifted lyricists, these songs
would never have been made into shows.
Do you have a favorite holiday song, poem or story? Do you return to that favorite every year to bring
the memories, feelings and images back as part of your celebration?
Feel free to share with me in the comments. I’d love to hear about your favorites. Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukah! Happy Kwanzaa! And a pleasant greeting to all who celebrate
in any way at this time of year!
