The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
So I’m starting a new occasional column here called “Fiver” that will be a catch-all to share five links, five songs, five whatevers that I would like to share.
Today, with the Thanksgiving holiday upon us tomorrow, I’d like to share five Thanksgiving songs for your enjoyment.
ONE: “Thanksgiving” by George Winston
George Winston has been called the father of new age music, having been a cash cow for the Windham Hill label in the 1980s. But Winston himself prefers to call his music “rural folk.” “Thanksgiving,” from his best-selling album December, is the first track on the album and the only non-Christmas/winter track. I remember listening to this track on my Sony Walkman while walking through the snow while visiting a friend up north. Its mournful quality makes me think of falling leaves and bare trees as a metaphor for the end of life.
TWO: “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)” by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney
This song was written by Irving Berlin for the 1954 movie White Christmas. The version below is directly from the movie, although I also love the version by Diana Krall. This song can be found on many Christmas albums, but I’ve always thought of it as more of a Thanksgiving song. It’s a great reminder to focus on our blessings no matter the season.
THREE: “Thanksgiving Theme” by Vince Guaraldi Trio
This is the theme from the Emmy-winning 1973 Peanuts TV special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It can be found in expanded recordings of A Charlie Brown Christmas as well as Charlie Brown’s Holiday Hits.
FOUR: “Prayer of Thanksgiving” by Perry Como
This Dutch hymn, better known as “We Gather Together,” dates back to the 1500s and was written to celebrate the Dutch victory against the Catholic King Philip II of Spain (he had prevented Dutch Protestants from gathering to worship). Here the tune is sung by Perry Como, who, ironically, was Catholic.
FIVE: “The Thanksgiving Song” by Adam Sandler
Let’s end on a humorous note with this fun tune that Sandler debuted on the Weekend Update portion of Saturday Night Live in 1992.
