I was recently at work in my office. To get in the Christmas mood, I decided to start up the good ol’ Pandora Christmas station on my computer. This station is about a bland as bland can be when it comes to Christmas songs, but at this time of year, I think it is okay to be a little cliché.
As I was busy working, humming along to the tunes about Old St. Nick, a baby in a manger, and Good King Whats-his-name, I suddenly hear a few lyrics that made me do the audible equivalent of a double take. The lyrics that made me pause were from the classic Gene Autry song, Here Comes Santa Claus. Most of the song is innocent enough when you sing the first few lines, but as the song continues one notices the rather strange mix of religious thoughts interwoven in a song about Santa Claus.
This confusing mix comes to a climax in the last verse:
“Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus lane
He’ll come around when the chimes ring out
That it’s Christmas morn again
Peace on earth will come to all
If we just follow the light
So let’s give thanks to the Lord above
That Santa Claus comes tonight!”
I have heard this song dozens of times over my years, but never once do I remember hearing these lyrics! When I mentioned this song to my wife, she decided to a little investigating. She informed me that when this song came it, it was an instant hit. Apparently, no one seemed to notice, or at least have issue with, those confusing lines at the end of what seemingly is a sweet little song about a fictional character (That is right, fictional. Don’t tell Megyn Kelly).
Reformed Deconstruction 