'Twas the Night Before Christmas - Wynton Marsalis

Empty manger, perfect stranger About to be born Into darkness, sadness, desperate madness Creation so torn We were so lost on Earth, no peace, no worth No way to escape In fear, no faith, no hope, no grace And no light But that was the night before Christmas Warm hay, cold sweat, a mother, not yet Praying Godspeed the dawn She looks to her man, holding her hand They wonder how long And the shepherds, wise men come to find them And bow to a king One star above shining on love So bright It lit up the night before Christmas And the world didn't know Mercy was meek and so mild And the world didn't know The truth was as pure as a child The night before Christmas The night before Christmas And the world didn't know Redemption was sweet and so strong And the world didn't know Salvation was writing a song The night before Christmas The night before Christmas The night before Christmas Empty manger, perfect stranger About to be born

It was the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse The stockings were hung by the chimney with care In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there The children were nestled, all snug in their beds While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap Had just settled down for a long winter's nap When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter Away to the window I flew like a flash Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below When, what to my wondering eyes should appear But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer With a little old driver, so lively and quick I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick More rapid than eagles his coursers they came And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name Now, Dasher, now Dancer, now, Prancer and Vixen On, Comet, on Cupid, on Donder and Blitzen To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall Now dash away, dash away, dash away all As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky So up to the house-top the coursers they flew With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof As I drew in my hand, and was turning around Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot A bundle of toys he had flung on his back And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack His eyes, how they twinkled, his dimples, how merry His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath He had a broad face and a little round belly That shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself A wink of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk And laying his finger aside of his nose And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle And away they all flew like the down of a thistle But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night

The treetops are leaning They're covered in snow The fire's burning And you're nearly home The bars are all empty I can't hear a soul With everything closed now There's nowhere to go Come rest your weary Head on my chest The year is behind us We're still at our best The magic of Christmas Is what's coming next So, lean in, kiss me And all of the rest Baby, this time of the year Can make you feel old But when I am with you I don't feel the cold So, let's dance in the kitchen And climb up the stairs I hope when we wake up There's love everywhere Mhmm Mhmm Hmm Baby, this time of the year Can make you feel old But when I am with you I don't feel the cold Hold on to your lovers Be good to your friends Remember the people Who are no longer there Lean into the moment The memories you share And have a Merry Christmas Everyone, everywhere