Put Christ Back into Christmas, by Billy Bragg - new Christmas song

 Put Christ back into Christmas

by Billy Bragg


Put Christ back into Christmas

The season of goodwill

Peace on earth for everyone

So let the bombs be still

Let the guns fall silent

Let the hungry be fed

And let the tyrants of the world

Lie uneasy in their beds


You want Christ back in Christmas

Yet you ignore his words

And live your life in selfishness

As if you've never heard

Of the Samaritan who stops to help

The stranger dressed in rags

You pay lip service to the Lord

While worshipping the flag


A flag won't ask you what you've done

To help the poor survive

But Christ demands you cast away

The sin of national pride

Love they neighbour as thyself

And you will plainly see

That the true message of Christmas

Is one of empathy


In haste to vilify you forget

Christ was a refugee

King Herod's murderous orders caused

His family to flee

Into the land of Egypt

Where their safety did lie

Would you refuse to let him in

And send him back to die?


God rest ye merry gentlemen

So drunken with dismay

You'd not be so belligerent

Should Christ come back today

If he were forced to choose a side

I tell you without doubt

That he'd embrace the refugee

And cast the fascist out


So come all you people of good faith

And listen to my song

If you have studied your holy book

You'll know that it is wrong

To use the name of Jesus Christ

In order to divide

So stand with those who need the most

Goodwill at Christmastide

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