Wednesday, December 25, 2019



If Only We Had Known

 Isaac -- It was tax time in Bethlehem
We were busy as we had ever been
Naomi --Folks came from miles around
Descended on our quiet town
 Both  -- Not a single place, not a single room 
Could be found
Not even at our little crowded inn

I --They showed up at our door
Ragged, cold and poor
 N --I could see the girl, barely past her teens
Was with child and just about due
  I -- I felt bad for them, we both did
But what were we to do
There was no place to put them
There simply was no room
 Both --And we stood there, not quite willing to shut the door
Bewildered and confused

 I --Then mama said to me,
N --“What about the stable?”
I --“The stable? That dirty, smelly place”
N --“Well, it’s better than leaving them on the street”
I --I thought for a moment, “I guess you’re right
I have to agree, though it’s just a step above the street
If you ask me


N --“You kids wait here 
I’ll go fetch a blanket so at least you’ll have a bed”
 I --And I’ll put down some hay to soften the ground
It’s the least I can do so at least you can lay down

 N --And while you’re at it, clean out that trough
This mother may need it
 I --Clean out the trough, where the animal feed, it …
Then she gave me that look (Kathy give him that look)
Okay, okay, I’ll do what you ask
Together we got busy to see to our tasks

Both --Now let’s pause for a moment
For those who would judge us
I --“You should have saved a room for them”
 N --Assuming that we knew
Both --But we truly did know
We didn’t have a clue
So let us ask you friend
What would you have done,
If it was up to you?

(Sung)

If only we had known
They’d be coming to our inn
We would have done our very best
To treat them as our welcomed guest
The royal treatment, nothing less
We would have saved a room for them

If only we had seen
What the shepherds saw that night
Choirs of angels, dazzling lights
A glorious, breath taking sight
Just like some kind of wonderful heavenly dream

But we didn’t know, we could not see
We did not realize
This birth would be a Holy birth
The Blessed One, The promised King,
The Lord of life,
God’s tiny precious Son

Still we did what we could
We offered them a place
It’s wasn’t much at all
We’re both ashamed to say
But deep within our hearts
We believe, we pray
God understands
We were willing to care
And though a stable was no place for him
He truly honored us and blessed us
On that starry, magical, mid-winter night
In a manger there
O Holy Night

George Gagliardi, December, 2019

Thursday, April 18, 2019


Easter 2019
Friends,
 Here is something a bit different for this Easter. I guess you could say it’s unapologetically religious because … well it is. I decided to go the route of creating a lyric that resembles some of the old gospel songs – hence the title. The reason – I felt led to write it that way. Now it’s true, for those of you who know me, that usually I’ll bend over backwards to avoid anything that sounds too churchy, lest it be dismissed as being just that. But you know, even some non-believers enjoy Hank Williams “I Saw the Light” so I figured I was on safe ground with this one. Now the music is not written yet but imagine the up beat sound of something like “I’ll Fly Away”. Anyway, hope you like it.

A New “Ole Time” Gospel Song—“I Believe It”




 We talk about resurrection
 ‘Bout comin’ back to life
 ‘Bout greetin’ a grand and glorious mornin’ 
  After a long and lonely, bitter night
  We talk about resurrection
 ‘Bout a man who was crucified
  And how God just raised him up again
  Our Savior, Jesus Christ

Chorus
And I believe it, man I believe it
Ask me why, I won’t hesitate
I believe it ‘cause of faith
I believe it, yes I believe it
I’d try and prove if I could
But even then wouldn’t do no good
Unless you truly understood
Some things are too true not to be good news
For those who need it
And we all need it
And I believe it, yes, I believe it
Bridge

I’m the first to say that to some this seems like a fairy tale
An act of wishful thinking, more or less
But I’ve seen God take a life that was dead
And turn that life around
‘Cause resurrection is what He does the best




Chorus

And I believe it, man I believe it
Ask me why, I won’t hesitate
I believe it ‘cause of faith
I believe it, yes I believe it
I’d try and prove if I could
But even then wouldn’t do no good
Unless you truly understood
Some things are too true not to be good news
For those who need it
And we all need it
And I believe it, yes, I believe it

George Gagliardi

Happy Easter, 2019