The Christmas Shoes Song: Gospel Love or Sappy & Depressing?

[prisonchaplain]

What say ye and why?

[Dravin]

Why can't it be both? A powerful and depressing example of love?

Actually for me its a mood thing. My favourite hymn is "I Stand All Amazed", but sometimes you just want to belt out, "The Spirit of God" or "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". Another factor is so many Christmas songs are upbeat, when you are listening to Jingle Bell Rock or what have you and this song slips into the rotation the contrast is jarring. On its own, or with a more serious play list you don't get that effect and things go better.

Edited December 19, 2009 by Dravin

[pam]

While many would find the song depressing as it's dealing with a death..I personally find the message about giving more of ourselves and helping those less fortunate more of the message. I'm a fan of the song.

Edited December 19, 2009 by pam

[mightynancy]

Being that "sappy and depressing" is an option, I'm glad to report I have never heard this song! Sappy really gets on my nerves.

[Wingnut]

I think it is a "powerful message of gospel love" but that doesn't mean that it's not annoyingly sappy, and also depressing. Ergo, I voted the latter.

For anyone who isn't familiar with the song, you can watch/listen here: YouTube - Christmas Shoes - New Song

[MorningStar]

Depressing as heck! When it comes on, I want to hide all of my loved ones' guns for fear of their lives.

Plus I hate it on a musical level too. But I like Christmas Wrapping, so you can make fun of me for liking it.

[beefche]

I cannot express my intense dislike for this song in tactful words, so I'll just leave it at I cannot abide this song in any manner. On another board, we have the annual thread "Why I hate Christmas shoes song..." We've already discussed it for this year. I look forward to next year's discussion.

[Just_A_Guy]

How 'bout an option for "Cynical attempt by an artist to rake in scads and scads of money by bald-faced emotional manipulation"?

No?

OK, I'll go with "Sappy & Depressing", then.

[Just_A_Guy]

And just to make sure you can never look at this song the same way again (courtesy of former BYU columnist Eric D. Snider):

While we're on the subject of songs that are supposed to make you cry whose doctrine I find questionable, there's the recent sappy, crappy country hit "Christmas Shoes" (not to be confused with "Live Like You Were Dyin'," "Already There," or any of the other sappy, crappy country hits that are produced at the rate of one song per week). It's about a guy standing in line in a store at Christmastime, and this filthy urchin in front of him is buying a pair of women's shoes, which he declares to be for his mother:

. . .

Because, what, Jesus can't abide a barefoot woman? Or a woman who has shoes on that aren't beautiful? And who says Mama will be wearing shoes when she gets to heaven anyway? I believe the old saying is, "You can't take it with you." Does that not apply to shoes? Is there supposed to be an asterisk next to it?

You can't take it with you.*

*(except shoes)

Anyway, the kid in the song winds up getting the singer to buy him the shoes, because of course he's too poor to pay for them himself. I picture him thanking the man profusely, then hurrying out the door with the shoes to his mother, who's waiting in the car, smoking a cigarette:

"What took you so long? Here, let's see 'em ... What, these are the best you could find?! Pumps! I told you pumps! These are heels! I can't wear these, they make my feet hurt, you stupid brat! You better get it right at the next store. And would it kill you to cry a little? See if you can get someone to give you some cash, too. Mama can't buy lottery tickets with shoes."

[MorningStar]

HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! Oh man. That is way funny and right on the money. Hey, that rhymed. Maybe I should write songs.

[pam]

And just to make sure you can never look at this song the same way again (courtesy of former BYU columnist Eric D. Snider):

Sorry still doesn't change my opinion. I'm still a fan of the song.

[Just_A_Guy]

Sorry still doesn't change my opinion. I'm still a fan of the song.

My condolences.

[pam]

No need for condolences.

[Wingnut]

Plus I hate it on a musical level too. But I like Christmas Wrapping, so you can make fun of me for liking it.

I LOVE Christmas Wrapping!!! It's on my playlist on my profile page. It's just a fun song.

How 'bout an option for "Cynical attempt by an artist to rake in scads and scads of money by bald-faced emotional manipulation"?

No?

OK, I'll go with "Sappy & Depressing", then.

Since I can't do both, I thanked, and here you go:

[prisonchaplain]

OK, I'm weighing in. I listened again to the song today. At face value, this is a sweet song about a kid with a dying mother, who wants to give her one last blessing. The fellow who forks out the money believes he got the better blessing because of a renewed lesson on God's love.

All the literalism, realism, and snappy cynicism can't ruin this song for me. It's not about con artists, or what we can take to heaven, or why the little boy is alone at night in the first place. It's about love and open-heartedness.

IMHO we got some tough nuts to crack on this board. But it's okay...hate the sin, love the sinner...hate the song, love us easily swayed fans. BTW, I'm considering giving Head Moderators 10 votes each on this poll...LOL

[KeithLBrown]

First of all, prisonchaplain, thank you for posting this poll. There are some really interesting replies here, but then we are all entitled to our thoughts and opinions. For those who have not heard the song or watched the video of it, I have posted it here: Videos » Christmas Shoes » LDS Mormon Network

My vote in this poll is that I have to agree with the few and disagree with the majority. I have absolutely loved this song from the first time that I heard it. Perhaps it is because when I listen to a song, especially one like this, I listen to the message in the words. I do not honestly think that this is a song about some cute little kid trying to scam a complete stranger out of buying a pair of shoes that his mother likes for Christmas. Nor do I think that the writer of this song is simply trying to play on the emotions of the listening audience in hopes that he will make lots of money from its sales.

When I listen to this song and listen to the words, I put myself in the place of the main characters of the song. First, there is the little boy. His mother is sick and dying. He loves his mother dearly and wants to buy her one last gift as an expression of a son's love for his mother. It has nothing to do with what the mother can or cannot take with her, but one thing that she can take with her is the smile on her little boy's face as he presents her his gift of love. This is a great Gospel lesson on what it means to go beyond oneself and give from the heart. As I watch the video I picture that little boy being me and his mother being my dear mother who had breast cancer and spent her last Christmas with us 12 short years ago. She could not work and had no money to buy us gifts like she loved to do. She did not even really have the strength to decorate our home the way she loved to do. But, in spite of all of that, the final Christmas was extra special for her and for all of us because we had a blessed opportunity to give back to the one who had given us all so much. Whether it was a gift of Christmas shoes or whatever, it was our love for her that was wrapped in each of those gifts that made that Christmas so very special.

Then, there is the stranger. He generously offers to buy the shoes for the little boy. Did he have to do it? Absolutely not. Why did he do it? I believe that he did it out of his love and compassion for a fellow human being. I picture myself as this man in a similar situation being reminded of the words of the Savior as recorded in Matthew 25:40, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Certainly, if I were in this same type of scenario and had the means to do so, I would have done, and have done in the past, exactly as this stranger did for this little boy. For those who are concerned about what this little boy actually did with the shoes after the stranger bought them for him, may I remind you of the words recorded in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 4:16-19:

16 And also, ye yourselves will asuccor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the bbeggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt asay: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

19 For behold, are we not all abeggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

Just call me a sentimental fool, but I perhaps see this song in a whole different light than some of you. I made a comment last evening on my Facebook page that says, "Getting is good. Giving is better. Once you understand that, it's always Christmas." This song/story is not about getting or taking anything. I see it as a wonderful demonstration of what true GIVING is all about, both on the behalf of the little boy and of the stranger. May God bless us every one! Merry Christmas to all.

[MorningStar]

I LOVE Christmas Wrapping!!! It's on my playlist on my profile page. It's just a fun song.

High five! That song makes me want to dance festively.

[MorningStar]

OK, Christmas Shoes was just playing on our radio and my husband ran screaming to turn it off.

[pam]

Like a girl?

[prisonchaplain]

It takes someone very comfortable with his masculinity to hear the Christmas Shoes song, shed a tear, and then kiss his daughters, and thank God above for health, family and gospel love. :-)

[MorningStar]

It was a low, manly scream, like a Secret Service man leaping to take a bullet for the president, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

[annamaureen]

It's horribly sappy and cheesy.

[Vort]

It takes someone very comfortable with his masculinity to hear the Christmas Shoes song, shed a tear, and then kiss his daughters, and thank God above for health, family and gospel love. :-)

It takes someone very comfortable in his masculinity to hear the Christmas Shoes song, suppress his gag reflex, scream in rage, and hurl the radio completely through the gypsum board wall while threatening the physical well-being of anyone who ever plays that stupid song in his presence. While at a Relief Society-sponsored social.

[pam]

All of you that dislike it can say what you will. I love the song and I'm sticking to that. And I won't hold it against any of you. lol

[aruth5000]

I think the song was meant to show christmas isnt about all the big persents and stuff its supposed to be a season of giving, more then just presents, gifts of love and kidness. the little boy in the song was used to potary that even the small gifts mean alot .. i dont know thats just how i see it. i know everytime i hear the song it reminds me of the true meaning... we are celabrating for our christ not for all the wordly gifts ... not everyone has the luxury of having ... but everyone can partake of the joy of christmas

Edited December 23, 2009 by aruth5000