The Christmas Spirit

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

(Johnny Cash)

(Praises sing to Christ the King and peace to men on earth)

On Christmas Eve I dreamed I traveled all around the earth

And in my dream I saw and heard the ways the different people hail the king

Whose star shone in the east and what a dream it was

In London Town I walked around Piccadilly Circus

A mass of people movin' here and there I wandered where

On every face at every place was hurry up I'm late

But a kind old man at a chestnut stand said merry Christmas mate

And I felt the Christmas spirit

[ choir ]

In a little town nestled down in Bavaria Germany

I walked along to see what the feeling there would be

And here again was the busy din the rushin' the yellin'

But some kind boy said Frohliche Weihnachten

Not undesratnding the words but gettin' the buyin' and sellin'

I felt the Christmas spirit

[ piano - choir ]

In Bethlehem I heard a hymn some distant choir sang

And with other tourists I walked along to a church as its bells rang

Then I heard someone tell someone there's where Christ was born

I wonder if he looked like our baby looked on that first morn

And then I really felt the Christmas spirit

From a businessman in the Holy Land as a sidewalk souvenirshop

I bought a little Bible since I'd hardly stopped

And it was in Paris France somehow by chance that I took the Bible out

And as I flipped the pages I saw these words and I knew what it was all about

For I read fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy

Which shall be to all people

For unto you he was born this day in the City of David a Saviour

Which is Christ the Lord

[ choir ]

Then I took the little Holy Book held it close and tight

I closed my eyes and visualized the glory of that night

So suddenly it came to me for when I awoke on Christmas Day

I felt the Christmas spirit down deep inside to stay

(O little town of Bethlehem how still we see Thee lie

Above Thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by

Yet in Thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight)

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I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

(Henry W. Longfellow - John B. Calkin)

I heard the bells on Christmas Day their old familiar carols play

And wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth goodwill to men

I thought how as the day had come the belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along unbroken song of peace on earth goodwill to men

And in despair I bowed my head there is no peace on earth I said

For hate is strong that mocks the song of peace on earth goodwill to men

(Then pealed the bells more loud and deep God is not dead nor doubt he sleeps

The wrong shall fail the right prevail with peace on earth goodwill to men)

Till ringin' singin' on its way the world revolve from night to day

A voice a chime a chance so blind on earth goodwill to men

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep God is not dead nor doubt he sleeps

The wrong shall fail the right prevail with peace on earth goodwill to men

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BLUE CHRISTMAS

(Bill Hayes - Jay Johnson)

(I'll have a blue blue Christmas)

I'll have a blue blue Christmas without you

I'll be so blue thinking about you

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree

Won't mean a thing if you're not here with me

I'll have a blue Christmas that's certain

And when those blue blue heartaches start hurtin'

You'll be doing alright with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue blue Christmas

(I'll have a blue blue Christmas without you

I'll be so blue thinking about you)

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree

Won't mean a thing if you're not here with me

(I'll have a blue Christmas that's certain

And when those blue blue heartaches start hurtin')

You'll be doing alright with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue blue Christmas

(A blue blue Christmas without you)

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GIFTS THEY GAVE

(Johnny Cash)

Jesus our King kind and good was humbly born in a stable of wood

And the lowly beasts around him stood Jesus our King kind and good

I said the donkey shaggy and brown I carried his mother up and down

I carried his mother to Bethlehem town I said the donkey shaggy and brown

I said the ox this was my hay I gave him my manger twas here that he lay

I gave him my manger twas here that he lay I said the ox this was my hay

(I said the sheep with pearly horn I gave him my wool for a blanket warm

He wore my coat on Christmas morn I said the sheep with pearly horn)

I said the dove from the rafters high I sang him to sleep that he would not cry

We sang him to sleep my love and I I said the dove from the rafters high

And so every heart by some good spell in the stable dark was glad to tell

Of the gift they he gave to Emanuel of the gift that he gave to Emanuel

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HERE WAS A MAN

(Johnny Bond - Tex Ritter)

(Joy to the world the Lord is come)

Here was a man a man who was born in a small village the son of a peasant woman

He grew up in another small village

Until he reached the age of thirty he worked as a carpenter

Then for three years he was a traveling minister

But he never traveled more than two hundred miles from where he was born

And where he did go he usually walked

He never held political office he never wrote a book never bought a home

Never had a family he never went to college and he never set foot inside a big city

Yes here was a man

Though he never did one on the things usually associated with greatness

He had no credentials but himself he had nothing to do with this world

Except through the devine purpose that brought him to this world

While he was still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against him

Most of his friends ran away one of them denied him

One of them betrayed him and turned him over to his enemies

Then he went through the mockery of a trial

And was nailed to a cross between two thieves

And even while he was dying his executioners gambled

For the only piece of property that he had in this world

And that was his robe his purple robe

When he was dead he was taken down from the cross

And laid in a borrowed grave provided by compassionate friends

More than nineteen centuries have come and gone

And today he's a centerpiece of the human race

Our leader in the column to human destiny

I think I'm well within the mark when I say that all of the armies that ever marched

All of the navies that ever sailed the seas

All of the legislative bodies that ever sat and all of the kings that ever reigned

All of them put together have not affected the life of man on this earth

So powerfully as that one solitary life

Here was a man (joy to the world the Lord is come)

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CHRISTMAS AS I KNEW IT

(June Carter - Jan Howard)

One day near Christmas when I was just a child

Mama called us together and mama tried to smile

She said you know the cottoncrop hasn't been too good this year

There's just no spending money and well at least we're all here

I hope you won't expect a lot of Christmas presents

Just be thankful that there is plenty to eat

That's quite a blessing that'll make things a little more pleasant

And us kids got to thinking how really blessed we were

At least we were all healthy and best of all we had her

Roy cut down a pigapple tree and we drug it home Jack and me

Daddy killed a squirrel and Louise made the bread

Reba decorated the tree with popcorn strings before we went to bed

Mama and daddy sacrificed cause this Christmas was lean

But after all there was the babies Tom and Joanne babies need a few things

I whittled a whistle for my brother Jack and though we fought now and then

When I gave Jack that whistle he knew I thought the world of him

Mama made the girl's dresses out of flower sacks

And when she ironed them down you couldn't tell that they hadn't come from town

A sharecropped family across the road didn't have it as good as us

They didn't even have a light and it was way past dusk

And mama said well I bet they don't even have coaloil or beans to boil

A log apples cranges and such

Me and Jack took a jar of coaloil nd some hickernuts we'd found

We walked to the sharecropper's porch and set 'em down

A poor old ragged lady eased open the door

She picked up the coaloil and hickernuts and said

I sure do thank ye and quickly closed the door

We started back home me and Jack and about halfway we stopped looked back

And in the sharecropper's window at last was a light

So for one of the neighbors and for us it was a good Christmas night

Christmas came and Christmas went Christmas that year was heaven sent

Then daddy put on his gumboots waited for the thaw back home in Dyess Arkansas

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SILENT NIGHT

(Franz Gruber - Joseph Mohr)

(Silent night holy night)

Silent night holy night all is calm all is bright

Round young virgin mother and child holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night holy night all is dark save the light

See the eastern wise men bring gifts and homage to our King

Christ the Saviour is born Jesus the Saviour is born

Silent night (holy night) all is calm all is bright

Poorest dreams from heaven afar heavenly host sing hallelujah

(Christ the Savious is born Jesus the Saviour is born)

Silent night holy night wonderous dark lend Thy light

With the angels let us sing hallelujah hail the King

Christ the Saviour is born Jesus the Saviour is born

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LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

(Katherine Davis - Henri Onerati - Harry Simeone)

Come they told me our newborn King to see

Our finest gifts we bring to lay before the King

This is to honor him when we come

Baby Jesus I am a poor boy too I have no gift to bring that's fit to give a King

But may I play for you on my drum

The mother Mary nodded the ox and lamb kept time

I played my drum for him I played my best for him

Then he smiled at me me and my drum

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RINGING THE BELLS FOR JIM

(June Carter - Jan Howard)

The father heard church bells at midnight a wrong time for church bells to chime

He went to the tower found a little girl there said why ring the bells at this time

I'm just ringing the bells for Jim please father ringing the bells for Jim

I'm sorry I'm cryin' but my brother Jim's dyin' so I'm ringing the bells for Jim

Please father pray for him this Christmas he's sick and he's in so much pain

The doctors all say he'll be gone any day so I must ring the bells again

I'm just ringing the bells for Jim...

[ ac.guitar ]

On the day after Christmas she brought him said father heed little Jim

You see he got well when he heard the church bells I was ringing the bells for Jim

I'm just ringing the bells for Jim...

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10.

WE ARE THE SHEPHERDS

(Johnny Cash)

So here is the stable and there is the manger

The new Saviour sleeps on his first earthly night

The wise men brought riches but we brought a candle

It's all that we have but it gives a good light

We are the shepherds we walked cross the mountains

We left our flocks when the new star appeard

Oh the beautiful singin' of heavenly choir

We had to come see him we had to come here

We beg you forgive us for such a small offering

But our sheep are out there with wolves in the night

We bring you this candle it's all we have with us

But with it the new Saviour has his first light

We are the shepherds...

We thank Thee kind Joseph for bidding us enter

Please take our gift for the new babe to thine

'Tis only one candle but it is our symbol

Of how we believe that his great life will shine

We are the shepherds...

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11.

WHO KEPT THE SHEEP

(Johnny Cash - June Carter)

The shepherds afar left their flocks by night

Followed the new star by its heavenly light

Did the lambs fear the wolves did they lay down and sleep

Who kept the sheep who kept the sheep

Did robbers not steal or did they fear the light

That the shepherds had followed night after night

Did they not stray did little lambs weep

Who kept the sheep who kept the sheep

Under the new star the new Saviour lay

In his dim manger he lay on the hay

The shepherds that came had a vigil to keep

But who kept the sheep who kept the sheep

Who kept the sheep who kept the sheep

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12.

BALLAD OF THE HARP WEAVER

(Vincent Millay)

Son said my mother when I was knee high

You need of clothes to cover you and not a rag have I

There's nothing in the house to make a boy's britches

Nor shears to cut a cloth with nor thread to take stitches

There's nothing in the house but a leaf end of rye

And the harp with a with the woman's head nobody will by and she began to cry

That was in the early fall and when came the late fall

Son she said the sight of you makes your mother's blood crawl

Little skinny shoulder blades stickin' through your clothes

And where you get a jacket from God above knows

It's lucky for me lad your daddy's in the ground

And can't see the way I let his son go around and she made a queer sound

That was in the late fall when the winter came

I'd not a pair of bridges nor a shirt to my name

I couldn't go to school or out of doors to play

And all the other little boys passed our way

Son said my mother come climb into my lap

And I'll chave your little knees while you take a nap

And oh but we were silly for half an hour or more

Me with my long legs draggin' on the floor

I rocked rocked rocked to a mother goose rhyme

Oh but we were happy for half an hour's time

But there was I a great boy and what would folks say

To hear my mother singin' me to sleep all day in such a daft way

Men say the winter was bad that year fuel was scarce and food was dear

A wind with a wolf's head howled about our door

And we burned up the chairs and sat upon the floor

All that was left us was a chair we couldn't break

And the harp with the woman's head nobody would take for song or pity sake

The night before Christmas I cried with the cold

I cried myself to sleep like a two year old

And in the deep night I felt my mother rise

And stare down upon me with love in her eyes

I saw my mother sitting on the one good chair

A light falling on her face from I couldn't tell where

Looking nineteen and not a day older

And the harp with the woman's head leaned against her shoulder

Her thin fingers moving in the thin tall strings

Were weave weave weaving wonderful things

Many bright threads from where I couldn't see

Were running through the harp strings rapidly

And gold threads whistlin' through my mother's hands

I saw the web grow and the pattern expand

She wove a child's jacket and when it was done

She laid it on the floor and wove another one

She wove a red cloak so regal to see

She's made it for a king's son I said and not for me but I knew it was for me

She wove a pair of bridges and quicker than that

She wove a pair of boots a little cocked hat

She wove a pair of mittens she wove a little blouse

She wove all night in the still cold house

She sang as she worked and the harp strings spoke

But her voice never faltered and the thread never broke

But when I awoke there sat my mother

With the harp against her shoulder lookin' nineteen and not a day older

A smile about her lips and a light about her head

And her hands in the harp strings frozen dead

And piled up beside her toppling to the skies

Were the clothes of a king's son just my size

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