Christmas Carols

Today the boys and I were riding around in the car, listening to the Christmas music on the radio. When Rudolph the red nosed reindeer came on I entertained myself by ad libbing “like a light bulb” at the end of every line. No, I don’t mean I added the usual comment appropriate to each line LIKE “like a light bulb” I mean I sang those exact words at the end of each line. The boys were horrified “NO PAPA you are RUINING the song!!” For the record, I was not aware it was possible to ruin Rudolph the red nose reindeer.

The next song that came on was Christmas Shoes by New Song. So I sang “like a light bulb” at the end of each line of that song too. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard. Have you heard that song? About some kid buying his mom hooker shoes the night she is dying? What the What is that about? Where is social services? Where is this kid’s dad when he is begging for cash from strangers to buy shoes on Christmas Eve? Shudder. What do my boys think of my creativity? Matthew had his hands over his ears and Paul was shaking his head like he could not believe we were related.

When I was in High School I would spend Christmas break in Tucson with my mom. Her church, First Christian had a tradition to go sing carols to the shut in church members. It was a nice tradition, and some years a pretty good group went. My mom, being who she was, often invited her friends who were not church members to come along and sing. I remember that at every single house, after we sang a few carols they would ask the person we were signing for if they had a favorite carol, and about half the time the request was for “Joy to the world”. Every single time before anyone could start my Mom would belt out “Joy to the World, All the boys and girls, Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, Joy to you and me” and then there would either be an awkward pause, or everyone else would join in on the three dog night version.

Someday I hope my boys are singing the wrong words to christmas carols loudly and horrifying their own children.

Joy to fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me . . . like a light bulb!