Nebraskan singer-songwriter Josh Rouse is undervalued – his thoughtful and tuneful songs could have been hits in another era. He released some great records in the early 21st century – the concept album of Under Cold Blue Stars, about a small-town couple in the 1950s, the 1970s pastiche of 1972, and the breakup album Nashville.
‘Christmas In Jesus’ comes from 2002’s Under Cold Blue Stars. There are a ton of Christmas songs released by secular artists – but usually, they’re second-rate tunes that get flogged on festive radio anyway. The Sunday Post claims that Paul McCartney wrote ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ in 10 minutes and Wikipedia has its recording date as 30 August 1979 – efficient for a song that’s reportedly raked in $15,000,000.
Conversely, ‘Christmas With Jesus’ isn’t aimed at supermarket Christmas airplay instead it’s mournful and introspective. There are a few good morose Christmas songs out there – Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’ and Prince’s ‘Another Lonely Christmas’ are better-known examples. ‘Christmas With Jesus’ is an introspective song that explores an unusual issue; Christmas as a couple when only one partner is a believer.
I’m not sure who plays what, but Wilco’s Pat Sansone is a major collaborator on Under Cold Blue Stars, contributing bass and keyboards. The dreamy, distorted guitar and the deep and driving bass are the dominant textures, but ‘Christmas With Jesus’ is sweetened by the keyboard part that drops in halfway through. It’s gorgeous and thoughtful, a Christmas song that offers more than Hallmark sentiments.
And my conscience
Has it
Stripped down to a science
Why does everything
Displease me
Still I’m tryingAnd it’s so very hard
To ask for a part
In your Christmas
And getting in
Is easy when you’re
Friends with Jesus
With Jesus
With Jesus
With JesusHe’s coming
Inside me
Without reason
As I sit here
Waiting
For His signalAnd I ask of the Lord
To spare me His sword
Of forgiveness
Cause it’s so very hard
To ask for a part
In your Christmas
With Jesus
More Christmas Songs
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good song! a familiar style I can’t place at the moment. Merry Christmas!
He has a light, conversational voice – not unlike Paul Simon or the guy from Death Cab for Cutie.
yep I think it’s Death cab he was reminding me of. good call!
Good song, hope you had a good Christmas.
Mine was busy this year – I kept having to do helpful things continuously. The days afterward have been more chilled though. Hope yours was good too.
I like this…I don’t hear many modern artists trying to write original Christmas songs. Maybe I’m not looking in the right places. I like the mood of this…I don’t need to hear another carol get the rock treatment.
Merry Christmas!
Have you heard Paul Kelly’s How To Make Gravy?
Hope your Christmas was good! It’s Boxing Day picnic here.
I will look that one up…
Graham…educate me please…I know what boxing day is…but a picnic?
A picnic is when you eat food outside on a picnic blanket.
Ok I deserved that! I knew as soon as I hit reply! I knew that was coming.
Is it giving Christmas leftovers to other families…I thought it was a picnic connected to Boxing Day.
I love Rouse’s “1972.” I’m not sure “mournful and introspective” are what most people desire at this most festive time of year, but I applaud anyone willing to step outside the non-secular box. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and Happy Holidays!
I’m a bit allergic to happy, brainless Christmas songs after years of working in retail – it’s good when songs come from a different angle. Happy holidays to you as well!
Wow, a great and unusual Christmas tune that explores an interesting subject.
I used to have that situation in my family. My wife is a Jehovah Witness and, as such, doesn’t celebrate Christmas. When growing up in Germany, Christmas was a big social gathering in my family. Except for my grandma who was deeply catholic it wasn’t much of a religious holiday.
When my son was young, he liked the idea of Christmas and, yes, getting presents. As such, back then, we sort of celebrated “Christmas lite.” Now, Ian is 20, and while he isn’t a Jehovah Witness, he doesn’t care much about Christmas any longer. We haven’t celebrated it in several years.
I’m okay with it, though I do miss the family gathering/social aspect.
I didn’t realise Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Christmas. I like the idea of some songs bringing a different perspective to Christmas – working in Christmas retail at University, I got pretty sick of second-rate Christmas tunes from artists I usually enjoy. Tom Petty has lots of great songs but ‘Christmas All Over Again’ is a little way down the list.
I guess I can understand that your store experience made you tired of many Christmas tunes. I can hear most of them a few times each year, but then I’m also ready to move on to other music!
I dig it.
Yup, it’s stuck with me a long time.
The best kind!