From the Salmon

I thought I’d do something a little different for the next few Fridays. In the spirit of Advent, I thought I’d share a few Christmas songs that aren’t your usual fare.

I haven’t sketched it all out yet, but if possible, I’ll try to choose songs that fit with the traditional Advent week themes: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

For the first week, Hope, I’ve chosen a Bruce Cockburn song. Bruce has released a Christmas album (iTunes), which I often have on heavy rotation this time of year. But this song isn’t from that album. Instead, it appears on his 1991 album, Nothing But a Burning Light (iTunes).

Cockburn sought to take some of the shine off the halos usually associated with Joseph and Mary and, in fairly simple language, capture their humanity instead. The result isn’t the most poetic of songs, but I love it all the same. I particularly like the chorus and the final line: “ There’s a future shining in a baby’s eyes.”

Simple, humble, and hopeful.

“Cry of a Tiny Babe”
from Bruce Cockburn’s Nothing But a Burning Light

Mary grows a child without the help of a man
Joseph gets upset because he doesn’t understand
Angel comes to Joseph in a powerful dream
Says “God did this and you’re part of his scheme”
Joseph comes to Mary with his hat in his hand
Says “forgive me I thought you’d been with some other man”
She says “what if I had been — but I wasn’t anyway and guess what
I felt the baby kick today”

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

The child is born in the fullness of time
Three wise astrologers take note of the signs
Come to pay their respects to the fragile little king
Get pretty close to wrecking everything
‘Cause the governing body of the whole land
Is that of Herod, a paranoid man
Who when he hears there’s a baby born King of the Jews
Sends death squads to kill all male children under two
But that same bright angel warns the parents in a dream
And they head out for the border and get away clean

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

There are others who know about this miracle birth
The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth
For it isn’t to the palace that the Christ child comes
But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums
And the message is clear if you’ve got ears to hear
That forgiveness is given for your guilt and your fear
It’s a Christmas gift you don’t have to buy
There’s a future shining in a baby’s eyes

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

Purchase “Cry of a Tiny Babe” at iTunes

Have a hopeful song for Advent? Feel free to share.