Christmas..outside your house

I am sure it is an acquired taste.

Brian Healy's (aka Dead Artist Syndrome) music and voice is often haunting...an appropriate word for a Christian who is often called a Goth artist.

"Eerie worship" music or "depressing praise"music do not have to be  oxymorons!

I'm up for brooding joy at times...aren't you?

One reviewer attributed to Healy a "biting cynicism that I personally enjoy. Instead of being hopeless and miserable Healy, seems hopeless and pissed. There is a big difference."

I would guess such irony and juxtapostion of lyric and expected tempo was the case with the gut-wrenching, angry Psalm 22's "My God why have you forsaken me?...All day I cry out to You, and no answer...nothing' (You may remember, it gets worse from there). According to the inscription, this depressing little ditty was to be sung to the tune of "Doe in the Morning" ! Hardly a Pink Floyd Prozak accompaniment, I would venture. (Check this for more on all this)



Like many artists who are Christians, not all Healy's CDs are upfront (if Gothic) "Christian" worship music; they are more the stuff of life (and death) from a Christian perspective. So when he did release...at some risk.. his one unapologetically worship disc (well, with the lovely qualifier "It was my desire when recording this record to express my faith clearly and succinctly. Hopefully I have succeeded and not fallen within the realm of propaganda or soda commercials" in the liner notes), it was sure to be amazing. For one, he is backed by what many consider the best band in the world most have never heard of: The 77s (more honest Christians); and what other worship record has a song called "Young Sexy and Dead"....let alone the classic "Jesus I Love You, But I Don't Understand Your Wife." Even the secular reviewers "get" that his "mocking the hierarchical Christian establishment and American culture" is grounded in deep faith in Christ. The disc, of course, is called "Happy Hour." (A later disc was winkingly titled; "Jesus Wants You To Buy This Record")

You'll also get a holy kick out of the songs that were played at his wedding , from
Bach's "Jesu Joy of Mans Desiring" to Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy".

Of course!

His "I'm having Christmas outside your house" (from the delightfully/frightfully titled "Prints of Darkness" CD ( disc...well, cassette...shows how old it is),
which has radically changed my life is a few ways (see this) always evoked for me (among other interpretations) a taunting of Satan; that is we believers are celebrating Christ and Christ-mas just outside the devil's house: Neener, neerer neener, you can't come, Satan!
(That interpretatiom, I should say, works for the chorus)

But one pastor (wow, the only other pastor I could find who has commented on Healy online at all)....interprets almost the opposite: It's Jesus asking us if have we invited him to OUR house. Here's Jesus "having Christmas".. he remains within earshot, but not in our house.  "Let's invite Jesus to His own birthday party"...Revelation 3:20 style.

I don't remember the lyrics other than the catchy chorus already quoted, and as usual, the interpretation can be fluid. Besides, the song is apparently so obscure that the lyrics are nowhere to be googled...But I did just locate the song (sans lyrics)  currently playing on Healy's MySpace jukebox here..

It has a feel of lament..that you can dance to..of a believer being forsaken/betrayed by church and religion .

(Later edit: Now seven years after the original post..and the whole world has changed.  I added video and lyrics below.

We had a separation such a long, long time ago,
I walked away; I know you knew that I thought it was over,
Couldn't play the game, didn't feel much stronger, I only felt pain.

I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas.

A lot of miles have passed, a lot of years have gone,
Everything I knew went cold, not warm,
Never thought that I would turn away,
I knew that you'd wait for me, and say that you love me, but still...

I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas.

Never figured that I'd find myself in this place,
I don't believe you can fall from grace,
And I always knew you'd call me back someday.

I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
I'm having Christmas outside your house,
(etc. fade)

What does it evoke for you?

You can dance to it. It's happy. And scary.

Scary happy.

Like the gospel.

And I fear the good pastor may be right:

It might even be Jesus speaking to me...

but from outside my house; in love with me, but upset with me because as a pastor I am embedded in, and empower, a house/system/hierarchy that doesn't care;

Or worse.

A "realm of propaganda or soda commercials."

Thanks, Brian, for the amazing art, and Christmas carol.

Note:

 The album begins with the song "Christmas", which is not a Christmas carol, but a rather sarcastic rock song that was said be a denouncement of the secularization and commercialization of what has become known as the "winter holiday season", Healy himself has stated "Christmas" is about "separation from faith, church, friends and family at what is supposed to be the best day of the year"  link