Sad Christmas Songs

“Merry Christmas,” “Happy New Year,” and “Happy Holidays” are common greetings of joy and gladness at this time of year. They are expressions of good will and hope for love in action to spread; for justice and mercy to be shown here and abroad and so much more. A pretty good thing considering the hope that Christmas represents. We are a broken world in need and we recognize it more at Christmas than any other time of year.

In regard to this merry, happy, and well-wishing season, some song writers have opted to go against the grain of the traditional feeling of joy and happiness with songs that tug on our heartstrings.

I was listening to a radio station the other day when they played a song I had never heard before. It was done by Nat King Cole, a wonderful vocalist for sure, but as the song progressed I heard the lyrics attempting to pull at my emotions to get me to feel something for this little boy it was talking about.

Maybe I wasn’t in the “Christmas spirit” or maybe I was being a “Grinch” or a “Scrooge” but my emotions turned to skepticism instead of empathy. As I listened to the beautiful arrangement of the orchestra and Nat’s smooth jazz vocal, the words just didn’t seem to sync with the rest.

It was Christmas morning; the little boy was out in the street looking for someone to play with. All the other little boys were out with their new toys and too busy to notice him. So he went back into his house to play with last year’s broken toys because Santa had forgotten this little boy. As the song continued it told me that this little “Laddie didn’t even have a daddy.”  Each verse seemed to make the situation more tragic and disappointing. I was skeptical. Is there a verse about his health next? Will there be another chorus with his momma not having any food in the house? I felt sort of sad for myself instead. Do I not have any empathy? Am I comfortable with my life and that’s good enough? Maybe that was what the songwriter was after – reflection.

I am not really sure but there are just some songs that I do not like. I’m sure you have your list too.

But this reflection is something to be considered. At Christmastime, we hope, we wish, we dream, we long for, we share, we bless, but most of all we reflect. Reflect on what? The classic words, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas just like the ones I used to know” give us a model. There is something in the human heart that longs for purpose, justice, to love and be loved, to make life better for not only ourselves but for someone else. Solomon wrote that he wondered what people got for all their hard work in life and concluded with these words: “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Christmas is a season of good-will, joy, happiness, hope, love in action, dreaming, all the things that Jesus said He came to bring us because of God’s love and favor for us. It is available. And now we celebrate Christmas each year as a reflection of the longing, or eternity, that God has placed in our hearts. That eternity is more simply put as hope, joy, love, justice, righteousness, gladness, healing, grace and mercy and more than that they represent the character of God, actually, all the things our Christmas songs point to; even if they are trying to pull at our emotions.

The words to this traditional Christmas song say so much about that eternity in our hearts, that which we are reflecting on even if we don’t realize it, it’s what we hope for and really want for Christmas!

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee

God of glory, Lord of love

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee

Opening to the sun above

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness

Drive the dark of doubt away

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day

All Thy works with joy surround Thee

Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays

Stars and angels sing around Thee

Center of unbroken praise

Field and forest, vale and mountain

Flowery meadow, flashing sea

Chanting bird and flowing fountain

Call us to rejoice in Thee

Thou art giving and forgiving

Ever blessing, ever blest

Well-spring of the joy of living

Ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother

All who live in love are Thine

Teach us how to love each other

Lift us to the joy divine

Mortals, join the happy chorus

Which the morning stars began

Father love is reigning o’re us

Brother love binds man to man

Ever singing, march we onward

Victors in the midst of strife

Joyful music leads us sun-ward

In the triumph song of life