Do You Hear What I Hear?

I was in tears today as I drove the carpool to preschool.  I was alone in the minivan cruising along Highway 20 past forlorn corn fields.  Nothing was wrong, but tears glided down my cheeks.

What happened?

Simply put-  I heard a story on the radio. 

A man was talking about Christmas carols and how many people don't realize that some "classics" aren't really old.  During his conversation he brought up Do You Hear What I Hear?  and reflected a little on the story behind the song.

Noel Regney weathered World War II, witnessed Korea and was upset with world events during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  He penned this beautiful poem proclaiming peace during the frightening fiasco with nuclear missiles.  He asked his wife to set the words to music and the rest is history.

It was a moving story about the hope for peace.

Now that I possess the story for this song, the visualized backdrop adds a new meaning to the Nativity story.  Year after year, we hear the same story about Mary and Joseph, no room in the inn, angels, and shepherds.  I am sure you've heard it at least once or twice, but somewhere over the years I lost a human connection to the story. 

Sometimes, we just need to examine the story from a different angle.


Here is a link to a youtube video with the original 60's version:



If you are interested here is more information about the carol's history:
http://www.answers.com/topic/do-you-hear-what-i-hear-vocal-classical-work