O Holy night 

The stars are brightly shining 

It is the night of our dear savior's birth 



Now you all heard the story about Bethlehem 

How the child was born and the three wise men 

Heard the preacher tell it like the preacher does 

But let me tell you, children, 

That's not how it was 



Now you might ask me what I'm talking about 

But I know the part that they all left out 

Yes, I do 



Now do you hear what I said 

That Herod wanted those wise men dead 

But on that blessed evening 

My great great great great great great granddad 

He saved those kings 



Now granddad made his living 

Playing jazz you see 

But jazz wasn't big around one A.D. 

So he got himself a job in the palace band 

Where he heard about three kings 

In the desert sand 



Let me tell you children that at any time 

Three kings in the desert that's a real rare find 

Yes, it is 



But Herod heard of it too 

And when he heard his curiosity grew 

So he asked those kings to drop by 

And my great great great great great great 

Granddad 

He wondered why 



So the Magi told old Herod 

That they had come here 

To find a newborn king of kings 

Who'd heal our sins 

Then old Herod told his guards 

To follow those Magi 

And that the only king around here 

Was gonna' be him 



Then he told his soldiers as I recall 

When they found that child, to kill them all 

But granddad overheard what Herod said 

And he had to act fast or else they'd all be dead 

Yes, they would 



So granddad got to those kings 

Filled them in on the plan, told them everything 

When they heard what he had in store 

They grabbed the gold 

The frankincense 

The myrrh, the jewels 

The desert tents 

And when they found 

His plan was sound 

They followed granddad out the back door 

Yes, they did 

They followed him down 



And what a night 

It must have been 

But when God is on your side 

You kinda' know that in the end 

You're gonna win 



They traveled fast 

They traveled far 

And in the end they found 

That they were standing with the Child 

Beneath the star 



Hallelujah, Hallelujah 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah 



Hallelujah, Hallelujah 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah 



And so you see we've reached the end 

Of our story 

When granddad and the kings 

Reached that stable on the hill 

And while I said that 

Three kings in the desert is a rare sight 

Angels singing in the desert that's far rarer still 



Now I ain't sayin' that the bible was wrong 

But ya' see the whole tale 

Would have taken too long 

'Cause way back then in the promised land 

Every copy they sold, 

It had to be written by hand 



And granddad lived a long life 

Stayed friends with those kings 

And found a good wife 

And eventually I came along 

But that my children 

That my children 

That's another song 



THE NEXT LETTER INCLUDED A RECEIPT 

FOR ONE TOY STUFFED BEAR 

DONATING IT TO A SMALL THRIFT SHOP 

BUT SOMEHOW IT WAS LEFT THERE 



FOR ATTICS HAVE THEIR SECRETS 

AND TOYS WILL HAVE THEIRS, TOO 

LIKE WHO ONCE HELD OR LOVED THEM 

WHEN THEY LAST WERE NEW 



WHETHER THEY WERE MADE OF METAL 

OR THEY WERE COTTON STUFFED 

OF HOW THEY HAD BEEN LEFT HERE 

WHEN THEY WERE NOT ENOUGH 



AND SO IT'S HERE THAT THEY MUST WAIT 

BETWEEN REALITY AND DREAM 

HOPING ALL WILL BE REMEMBERED 

AND THAT ALL CAN BE REDEEMED 



THEN IN THE SOUND OF THE WIND 

WHISTLING THROUGH A DOOR 

SHE THOUGHT SHE HEARD THE SOUND OF CHILDREN 

THAT HAD HELD THIS TOY BEFORE 



AND SHE THEN THOUGHT TO HERSELF 

AS SHE NOW HELD IT IN HER HAND 

THAT NO ONE COULD SAVE ALL THE WORLD 

BUT WE SHOULD SAVE WHO WE CAN 



SO SHE PLACED IT NEAR HER CANDLE 

FOR SHE HAD DECIDED IN HER MIND 

THAT WHEN SHE LEFT THIS ATTIC 

HE WOULD NOT BE LEFT BEHIND