Song For Jean Shepherd

It's Christmas Eve and I'm sitting at home with my family watching A Christmas Story. Ah yes, it's that time of the year again. Time to revel in the Ritual. Time to fire up the old Quasar television and let The Film play. Those classic characters! Ralphie. The Kid Brother. The Mother. And of course the Old Man. Jean Shepherd's words ring true any time of the year, but they are especially potent during the wild and woolly Days of December.

Well I'll get right down to it: I wrote a song for Old Jean. I know that he probably won't ever hear it, but I wrote it anyway. Jean Shepherd needed a song. I wanted to hear someone sing about Jean. So I had to write one myself. I didn't have much of a choice.

And now the song is done. For now. Songs are strange little worlds. Some times they stand on their own, and sometimes they need a little more attention. I'll probably change a few lyrics as time goes by. But for now I'll set it down the way that I wrote it.

So Happy Holidays, my friends. Here are my lyrics to "A Holiday Song for Jean Shepherd":

IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS PAY CASH
THAT WAS ONE OF YOUR BOOKS
THE RADIO SHOWS AND THE TV PROGRAMS
YOU REMINDED US TO LAUGH

A CHRISTMAS STORY CAME OUT IN '83
YOU WERE GONE IN '99
NOW YOU'RE STILL SHINNING LIKE SOME MIDWESTERN STAR
THANKS FOR TICKLING OUR MINDS

MILLIONS OF EYES LOOKED UPON YOUR MOVIES
BUT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME
THAT'S HOW IT GOES WHEN YOU'RE JUST THE WRITER
WE DON'T ALWAYS GET THE FAME

YOU BROUGHT HONOR TO WARREN G HARDING
YOU WERE A SOAP CONNOISSEUR
RESPECT THE FLAGPOLE / ENTERTAIN THE MASSES
SUCH A SKILLED RACONTEUR

SCOTT FARKAS HAD THOSE YELLOW EYES
THE OLD MAN LOVED HIS MAJOR PRIZE
YOU HAD YOUR RED RYDER BY YOUR SIDE
SUCH A WONDERFUL LIFE
SUCH A WONDERFUL LIFE

AND NOW WE'RE, THROWING OUT THE ROTTEN PUMPKINS
WE'RE CHOPPING DOWN THE CHRISTMAS TREES
WE'RE REUNITING WITH OUR FAMILIES
AND SINGING SONGS OF LOVE AND PEACE
WE'RE DRIVING DOWN THE SNOWY HIGHWAYS
WE'RE CALLING SOLDIERS ACROSS THE SEA
WE'RE BRINGING LIGHT TO SACRED CANDLES
AND CRANKING UP THE BOB MARLEY

THE BEST COOKIES ARE THE ONES THAT YOU DON'T BUY
THE BEST FRIENDS ARE THE ONES YOU HOLD CLOSE BY
TIME IS A TAYLOR, MENDING OUR LIVES
IT'S GONNA BE A WONDERFUL LIFE

TOMORROW / TONIGHT / YESTERDAY AND LAST NIGHT
IT'S GONNA BE BEAUTIFUL TIME

WE'RE WEARING CLOTHES TO CALM THE WEATHER
SOME OF US ARE EVEN GROWING BEARDS
SOMEONE SAYS "JOY TO THE SOBER!"
SOMEONE SAYS "HAVE ANOTHER BEER!"
AND THE WORLD KEEPS SPINNING ON ITS AXIS
WHILE PEOPLE ICE SKATE IN THE PARK
HALF THE WORLD IS DREAMING ABOUT SOCCER
HALF THE WORLD IS ALWAYS IN THE DARK

A CHRISTMAS STORY CAME OUT IN '83
YOU WERE GONE IN '99
NOW YOU'RE STILL SHINNING LIKE SOME MIDWESTERN STAR
THANKS FOR TICKLING OUR MINDS

MILLIONS OF EYES LOOKED UPON YOUR MOVIES
BUT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME
THAT'S HOW IT GOES WHEN YOU'RE JUST THE WRITER
WE DON'T ALWAYS GET THE FAME

YOU BROUGHT HONOR TO WARREN G HARDING
YOU WERE A SOAP CONNOISSEUR
RESPECT THE FLAGPOLE / ENTERTAIN THE MASSES
SUCH A SKILLED RACONTEUR

SCOTT FARKAS HAD THOSE YELLOW EYES
THE OLD MAN LOVED HIS MAJOR PRIZE
YOU HAD YOUR RED RYDER BY YOUR SIDE
SUCH A WONDERFUL VOICE
SUCH A WONDERFUL VOICE