1. Jim White, a… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists with this name, including:
1. Jim White, a drummer in several bands: Xylouris White, a duo with lute player Giorgos Xylouris and Dirty Three; he has also played on records and toured with Marisa Anderson, Cat Power, Smog, P. J. Harvey, and Nina Nastasia (Nina Nastasia And Jim White).
https://www.xylouriswhite.com/
2. Jim White is a Southern Gothic alt-country singer-songwriter. He has released seven albums as a solo artist. While his music is based in Americana, he borrows elements from rock, rhythm and blues, and even electronica, often piecing sounds together in the lo-fi cut-and-paste fashion of artists like Tom Waits. His albums have featured a wide variety of collaborators, such as Victoria Williams, Morcheeba, Aimee Mann, Barenaked Ladies, and Joe Henry. He is signed to David Byrne's Luaka Bop label and appeared in the BBC documentary, Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus, which looks at musicians inspired by the culture of the American South.
http://www.jimwhite.net/
http://www.myspace.com/officialjimwhite
Christmas Day
Jim White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did some mysterious voice tell you I'd still be here?
I bought this ticket to Mobile, but I been stranded all day
P.a. said the bus broke down ten miles away from the station.
[Chorus]
So seldom a door, so seldom a key, so seldom a hit like the hurt you put on me.
But seldom comes happiness without the pain of the devil in the details
As I was crying in a Greyhound station on Christmas Day, in 1998.
The burden of love is the fuel of bad grammar.
You stutter and stammer--what a bitch to convey the crux of the matter,
When the words you must utter are hopelessly tangled
In the memories and scars you show no one.
[Chorus]
I remember quite clearly, a bad Muzak version of James Taylor's big hit,
Called "Fire and Rain" was playing as you crouched down and tearfully kissed me,
And I thought, "Damn, what good fiction I will mold from this terrible pain."
[Chorus]
Amazing grace, how sweet the smile upon the face I never thought I'd see you again
Especially here in this Greyhound station
On Christmas Day
In 1998.
The song “Christmas Day in 1998” by Jim White is a reflection on love, pain, and unexpected reunions. The song begins with the persona questioning where their love interest has come from, wondering whether a mysterious voice had told them that they would still be waiting for them. The persona then reveals that they had been stranded all day, after their bus broke down ten miles away from the station. The Christmas Day setting adds a sense of melancholy to the song, as it is a day that is usually associated with happiness and togetherness.
As the song progresses, the persona refers to the burden of love, the fuel of bad grammar, as it makes them stutter and stammer when trying to convey the crux of the matter: the memories and scars that they show no one. This line, in particular, highlights the difficulty of trying to articulate the complexity of emotions that come with love and pain. The chorus then comes in, highlighting the rarity of happiness without pain, likening finding a door and a key to finding a hit as powerful as the hurt that their love interest has put on them.
The song climaxes with the persona recounting an unexpected reunion with their love interest, as they kissed each other tearfully in a Greyhound station. The use of “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor playing in a Muzak version adds to the sentimentality and the idea that moments that seem insignificant hold great significance in hindsight. Finally, they express their disbelief in seeing their love interest again, especially on Christmas Day in 1998. Ultimately, the song’s power lies in its exploration of the nuances of love, pain, and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
Where in the world did you come from my dear?
Did you show up because someone told you I’d still be here?
Did some mysterious voice tell you I'd still be here?
Did someone give you a sign that I'd be in this spot today?
I bought this ticket to Mobile, but I been stranded all day
I had planned to travel somewhere else, but I've been stuck here all day.
P.a. said the bus broke down ten miles away from the station.
An announcement said that the bus I was supposed to be on broke down ten miles away.
So seldom a door, so seldom a key, so seldom a hit like the hurt you put on me.
Love sometimes hurts so much that it feels like a rare occurrence, like finding a key to a door that's hard to unlock.
But seldom comes happiness without the pain of the devil in the details
There's usually some difficulty or challenge that comes with happiness, even if it doesn't seem obvious at first.
Since I saw the smile on your face As I was crying in a Greyhound station on Christmas Day, in 1998.
I couldn't believe it when I saw you smiling at me as I was crying in this bus station on Christmas Day in 1998.
The burden of love is the fuel of bad grammar.
Love can make you feel tongue-tied, like you can't express yourself well.
You stutter and stammer--what a bitch to convey the crux of the matter,
It's frustrating to try to express the most important part of how you feel, especially when you struggle to find the right words.
When the words you must utter are hopelessly tangled In the memories and scars you show no one.
Sometimes the words you need to say get tangled up with painful memories that you keep to yourself.
I remember quite clearly, a bad Muzak version of James Taylor's big hit, Called 'Fire and Rain' was playing as you crouched down and tearfully kissed me, And I thought, 'Damn, what good fiction I will mold from this terrible pain.'
I have a very clear memory of you kissing me while a bad instrumental version of a popular song played in the background, and I remember feeling like this terrible moment could someday make a good story.
Amazing grace, how sweet the smile upon the face I never thought I'd see you again Especially here in this Greyhound station On Christmas Day In 1998.
It's amazing to see you again, especially here in this same bus station on Christmas Day in 1998.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOLIDAY, WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Skicitrussoda
Such a powerful song. If you enjoy Jim's solo work, check out the one off band Hellwood, which featured Johnny Dowd in addition to Jim. They put out a great album called Chainsaw Of Life.
Dina Fisher Art
Song of the hour, one of the finest hovering in my cyberspace locket. The more I listen the more I'm moved. Feels like Swordfish Trombone minus posturing, injected with vulnerability of willingness to be seen nakid, raw in one's own pink flesh. Humble thanks to Jim White.
V E
This song is about a brief encounter, and yet it evokes a rather long relationship in my own life whenever I hear it. What a rich track
David Gilmore
Love this so glad I have discovered Jim White's music
Liz Partrick
One of my favorite songs..it creeps up on you if you listen to the whole thing.
Jan Karlsson
Incredible song
Philip Workman
The man is a legend
Toast Coetzer
They just closed down the Greyhound in South Africa. So came back to this for a bit. Great song. What great fiction we'll mould from this terrible pain, and all that.
Michelle Hermon
I fully agree, I love it
Gary Daughters
this is a lonely little thread, a mirror of the crickets i hear when i forward this video to assumed kindred spirits. the juxtaposition, in particular, seems to throw some people. i talked to jim recently, and he said he had nothing to do with this.