Christmas as I Knew It Songtext
von Johnny Cash

One day near Christmas when I was just a child
Mama called us together, mama tried to smile
She said, "You know the cotton crop hasn′t been too good this year
There's just no spending money and well at least we′re all here"

I hope you won't expect a lot of Christmas presents?
Just be thankful that there is plenty to eat
That's quite a blessing, it′ll make things a little more pleasant
And us kids got to thinking how really blessed we were
At least we were all healthy and best of all we had her

Roy cut down a pick apples tree, and we drug it home Jack and me
Daddy killed a squirrel and Louise made the bread
Reba decorated the tree with popcorn strings before we went to bed
Mama and daddy sacrificed ′cause this Christmas was lean, but
After all there was the babies Tom and Joanne
Babies need a few things


I whittled a whistle for my brother Jack and though we fought now and then
When I gave Jack that whistle, he knew I thought the world of him
Mama made the girl's dresses out of flour sacks
And when she ironed them down
You couldn′t tell that they hadn't come from town

A share cropper family across the road didn′t have it as good as us
They didn't even have a light, and it was way past dusk
And mama said, "Well, I bet they don′t even have coal oil or beans to boil
Let alone apples and oranges and such"

Me and Jack took a jar of coal oil 'nd some hickernuts we'd found
We walked to the share cropper′s porch and set them down
A poor old ragged lady eased open the door
She picked up the coal oil and hickernuts and said
"I sure do, thank you" and quickly closed the door

We started back home, me and Jack
And about halfway we stopped, looked back
In the share cropper′s window at last was a light
So for one of the neighbors and for us, it was a good Christmas night

Christmas came and Christmas went
Christmas that year was heaven sent
And Daddy put on his gum boots
Waited for the thaw
Back home in Dyess, Arkansas