Can I Believe?
Sarah Lyrics

They said "There'll be snow at Christmas"
People promised that Christmas will be filled with festive spirit, happiness and good weather.

They said "There'll be peace on Earth"
The people assured that Christmas will bring about a cessation in war/hostilities and bring calm and tranquility to the world.

But instead it just kept on raining
Contrary to these promises, it keeps raining, signifying that Christmas is perhaps not that different from any other day.

A veil of tears for the Virgin's birth
The rain could symbolize the sorrow and tears Mary shed during childbirth, and also perhaps the sadness that many people feel during Christmas, and the harsh realities of life that they must face.

I remember one Christmas morning
The singer recollects a particular Christmas morning from the past.

A winter's light and a distant choir
The ambiance of that morning included dim sunlight and a faraway choir, which perhaps makes the memory feel distant and otherworldly.

And the peal of a bell and that Christmas-tree smell
The sounds of bells and the sweet scent of the Christmas tree add to the memory of that morning.

And their eyes full of tinsel and fire
The people's eyes were bright and full of excitement and holiday cheer, as if they were reflecting the glitter and shimmer of tinsel.

They sold me a dream of Christmas
The singer feels as though she was sold a false reality or a false image of what Christmas ought to be like.

They sold me a Silent Night
The idea of a peaceful and silent night during Christmas, free from worry or trouble, was something that the singer believed in.

They told me a fairy story
People filled her head with stories of perfection and escapism, where everything would work out, and nothing could go wrong.

Till I believed in the Israelite
The singer's naivete was such that she even believed in the religious tales about Jesus and the story of Judaism.

And I believed in Father Christmas
The concept of Father Christmas or Santa Claus who brought presents to well-behaved children was a rock-solid belief.

And I looked at the sky with excited eyes
She eagerly gazed upwards, hoping to catch sight of Santa and his reindeer flying high in the skies.

'Till I woke with a yawn, in the first light of dawn
Her belief in Santa seems childish when she wakes up early on Christmas morning to no presents and is rather underwhelmed.

And I saw him through his disguise
Metaphorically, she seems to have realized that the illusion of Christmas and the commercialization of it was all just smoke and mirrors, and that the true meaning was something entirely different.

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
The singer has a sense of optimism, and she hopes that people's spirits will be lifted, just like she felt when she was a child.

I wish you a brave New Year
The New Year brings in a new and different set of challenges, and moving past them requires bravery and courage.

All anguish, pain, and sadness
Regardless of what has transpired before or what may happen in the future, the singer wishes for everyone to be free from any kind of emotional harm, including the pain and heartache that life inevitably brings.

Leave your heart and let your road be clear
The singer encourage listeners to let go of any emotional baggage/harm and hence clear the way for endless possibilities in the future.

Hallelujah, Noel!
The chorus repeats the sentiments expressed in the beginning with an added hint of religiousness or prayers.

Be it Heaven or Hell
The singer alludes to a sense of uncertainty and how things may pan out - whether they might have a blessed heavenly existence or even one fraught with troubles and burdens.

The Christmas we get, we deserve
The final line echoes the idea that we create our own reality, and thus we will eventually have the Christmas that we have envisioned for ourselves.