“DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?” – 10 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

Peace is a common theme of the holiday season. But it seems unusual that holiday songs would make a political statement about it.

Introducing “Do You Hear What I Hear?”

Yeah, I know, it doesn’t seem like it has a message other than the more obvious one about the holiday. The night wind. The little lamb. The shepherd boy. And so on.

But the song was written by a married couple in 1962 as the Cuban Missile Crisis was unfolding. Those of us old enough remember that as a very scary moment in our lives. The composers were scared, too, and they wrote this as a plea to end the tension.

Bing Crosby popularized the song. It was originally recorded by the Harry Simeone Chorale of “The Little Drummer Boy” fame. Here is their version: