James E Larson – out of the box

I wrote this in the early 90’s for my kids to sing at a Christmas program, and we’ve sung it at family gatherings ever since.

To be clear, the song is not intended as a political statement, say to promote government-sponsored nativity scenes. It is a bit strange to me that such a major festival is so widely celebrated with no regard for its origin. But ironically that in itself is most fitting of the Jesus story. In the words of O Little Town of Bethlehem:

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.

Last year I decided to produce and release this song as one more reminder of “the real meaning of Christmas”. It’s a low budget production–the entire orchestra is sampled instruments. My daughter Jaimie Hockema sang, with her older sister Dani Larson overdubbing the choir for the finale.

Please feel free to contact me and let me know what you think. Naturally I’d appreciate if you would share with others.

Links to music platforms below.

Jaimie Hockema

Links

There are a bunch more. Let me know if you can’t find it on yours.

Christmas Is Nothing

The trees are excited to be taken home,
To be dressed in glory, to make people warm.
And children are anxious to see what they'll get.
They've looked in the closets and under the beds.

There are lights on the houses and lights all around,
And people are shopping all over the town.
And music is playing wherever you go, 
To say that it's Christmas if you didn't know.

Christmas is sleigh bells that sound in the night.
And Christmas is candles glowing with light.
And Christmas is good things for everyone.
But Christmas is nothing without Jesus the Son.

There are green wreaths and holly, and garlands and bows,
But you'd better watch out for the mistletoe.
There's food so delicious, and some kind of weird.
And the prettiest music that you'll ever hear.

Christmas is sleigh bells that sound in the night,
And Christmas is candles glowing with light.
And Christmas is good things for everyone,
But Christmas is nothing without, without Jesus.

Here the bells singing their songs of joy
All because of this one little baby boy,
Who seemed ordinary if you looked at him then,
But he was God's Son sent to die for our sins.

Christmas is sleigh bells that sound in the night,
And Christmas is candles glowing with light.
And Christmas is good things for everyone,
But Christmas is nothing; 
It's nothing without the Son.

Christmas is making cookies and fudge,
Christmas is singing songs that you love.
And Christmas is good things for everyone.
But Christmas is nothing; Christmas is nothing;
Oh Christmas is nothing without Jesus the Son.