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about
This christmas song by the Rev. Vince Anderson is an autobiographical tale of the Rev.'s Christmas past, and his hope for the present and the future. The Rev. grew up in Fresno, California and now resides in Queens, NY.
lyrics
Christmas is different now than it use to be
back when I was a kid with the gifts under the tree
Leave milk and cookies for Santa and my Dad said,
“Maybe he’d like a beer instead.”
We’d go get a Budweiser, put on our pajamas
and reluctantly go to bed,
Christmas in California, Christmas in California
And every Christmas day, my Grandma would go
and pick an orange in our backyard.
We’d take a picture of her doing it,
then she’d put it next year’s Christmas card.
Send it to her friends in Minnesota and say,
“Feliz Navidad. Hope you enjoy the snow,
I’m here in the sunshine, sipping on my egg nog.”
Christmas in California, Christmas in California
But wherever you are
on this holiday,
take a moment to savor it
cause this moment will go away.
At my church, they use to get animals
from the dairy across the street
Pretty sure cows weren’t at the nativity,
but it was still kinda neat.
We’d go out there and sing “Silent Night”,
under the tule fog, and pray that it got cold enough
that we could go home and light up the yule log.
Christmas in California, Christmas in California
With tamales in her hand, my neighbor Mary
would come to the door.
On Christmas day, like she did every year before.
My Mom would make up a plate of Swedish meatballs
and they would exchange their gifts.
Since then, I’ve celebrated Christmas all over, but I’ll always remember this.
Christmas in California, Christmas in California
But wherever you are
on this holiday,
take a moment to savor it
cause this moment will go away.
Now the snow is coming down on my scrappy Brooklyn yard.
I think about my family and friends and how Christmas can be pretty hard
I mutter a prayer under my breath and I hope for better days.
And think that maybe like the snow in my backyard,
the pain will melt away,
Christmas is where you are. Christmas is where you are.
So let’s all lift a glass, to the present, the future, and the past.
And hope that the yuletide spirit will always last.
Seek out the lonely, and stand with the oppressed,
feed the hungry, and help the naked ones get dressed.
Christmas is us. Christmas is us.
So wherever you are
on this holiday,
take a moment to savor it
cause this moment will go away.
credits
released December 12, 2014
Music and lyrics by Rev. Vince Anderson
Recorded and produced by Jordan Richter at Unsupervised Sound
www.therealjordanrichter.com/bio.html
Artwork by Lance Anderson
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