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It is not Christmas. Christmas begins on Christmas Eve. It is Advent, a period of contemplation and waiting. That's why it used to be described as a Little Lent in church calendars.
So how did we allow such a solemn time to be filled up with songs about flying reindeer, animated snowmen, and other nonsense?
With this in mind, what are some of your favorite songs that fit the spirit of Advent? Let's hear 'em.
In Operation Shylock: A Confession, which won a 1994 PEN/Faulkner Award, writer Philip Roth provided still deeper insight:
The radio was playing ‘Easter Parade’ and I thought, But this is Jewish genius on a par with the Ten Commandments. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and then He gave to Irving Berlin ‘Easter Parade’ and ‘White Christmas.’ The two holidays that celebrate the divinity of Christ – the divinity that’s the very heart of the Jewish rejection of Christianity – and what does Irving Berlin brilliantly do? He de-Christs them both! Easter he turns into a fashion show and Christmas into a holiday about snow. Gone is the gore and the murder of Christ – down with the crucifix and up with the bonnet! He turns their religion into schlock. But nicely! Nicely! So nicely the goyim don’t even know what hit ‘em. They love it. Everybody loves it. The Jews especially. Jews loathe Jesus. People always tell me Jesus is Jewish. I never believe them. It’s like when people used to tell me Cary Grant was Jewish. Bull****. Jews don’t want to hear about Jesus. And can you blame them? So – Bing Crosby replaces Jesus as the beloved Son of God, and the Jews, the Jews, go around whistling about Easter! And is that so disgraceful a means of defusing the enmity of centuries? Is anyone really dishonored by this? If schlockified Christianity is Christianity cleansed of Jew hatred, then three cheers for schlock. If supplanting Jesus Christ with snow can enable my people to cozy up to Christmas, then let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Judy Garland
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
Next year all our troubles will be miles away
Once again as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who were dear to us
Will be near to us once more
Some day soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
It don't snow here
Stays pretty green
I'm gonna make a lot of money
Then I'm gonna quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Whoah I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry
He tried hard to help to me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I'm so hard to handle
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby that I ever had
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby say goodbye
It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
Singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
Here's a nice cover by Herbie Hancock (piano) and Corinne Bailey Rae (vocalist)
..and my sweet mother asks me to play this next song for her...it brings tears to her precious eyes...so I play it for her and watch her smile grow on her face. Everytime Susan gets to "It's such a perfect day...", my mother sings it with her...(please excuse the advertisement in the beginning), the song following is so beautiful...
Christmas music that makes my skin crawl? Any of it that ignores the purpose of the holiday. The only music of any kind that I enjoy is that which glorifies God.
I'm not trying to be "Super Christian" or holier than thou in my comments. It's my honest opinion for myself. I don't push this belief on anyone else. I haven't owned a radio/stereo in over 10 years because I hate 99.9% of modern music and what it's about. I've always been an old-fashioned hymn guy. I love the hymns! Music that honors and worships God fills me.
I grew up listening to pop and country music. But, even as a kid in junior high school, I would hear the words and think, "This isn't good. It's not right." I wasn't a religious kid and I didn't grow up in a religious home. But, inside me, I knew the lyrics weren't anything good to listen to. To me, that's just more proof that the Bible is true. God put the knowledge of Himself inside of us so our acceptance or rejection of Him is our own choice, as are the consequences.)
I do enjoy the Bill Gaither Homecoming Friends! The late Jake Hess sang a beautiful Christmas song that's very touching.
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Phillip Roth on Christmas
. I will.
