JRB's "Christmas Lullaby"

[PerforMeg]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 3:09pm

Does anyone know any background info on how this song came to him or anything? I realize in the context of the show it's kind of left open to interpretation but if anyone knows anything about the inspiration for it that would be very helpful...I'm singing it for a friend's baby shower next week and thought a little tidbit might be nice!

Thanks.

[Lindsay2]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 4:59pm

Well I know for a fact that it has to do with a young woman becoming pregnant so that's the right idea to sing at a baby shower!
:)

[ashley0139]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 5:01pm

I’ve got a question about the song ‘Christmas Lullaby’. I really love this song and I’ve chosen to sing this song for a few upcoming auditions. The only problem is: the show "Songs for a new world" has never been staged here, so I have no idea what the thought behind this song is. Could you please tell me what happened with the woman who sings this and why she sings it?

JRB responds:

One of these days, I'll have to do a guide to the whole script of "Songs for a New World." I always thought these songs were fairly self-explanatory, but in the last eleven years, I've had enough questions about "What does this mean?" to prove me wrong. As far as "Christmas Lullaby," it's a song about a young girl who's just discovered she's pregnant. I imagine her to be alone in the world, probably broke, and generally hopeless. Having this child is the scariest, bravest, happiest, weirdest thing that she could possibly do, and she decides at the end of the song that no matter what the consequences, her whole life has led her to the moment when she could have this child.
UPDATE: I just found this, which is something I wrote last year in response to another e-mail about "Christmas Lullaby."
It's about a girl who feels completely powerless and alone in the world, but decides to have a baby so she can change those things. But she's not "scheming", she has just made a decision (which she's also scared about) to bring this other life into the world because she thinks it will make her life better. The key is to not play the song dark at any point – even the line "I'll suffer any pains" has to be proud and honest; she'll make whatever sacrifices she has to make to bring something beautiful into the world. Someone asked me if it was supposed to be the Virgin Mary singing. Up to you.

Hope this helps! From jasonrobertbrown.com

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 5:56pm

Off-topic, but I don't get how she could be the Virgin Mary because she says "And I will be like Mother Mary." Why would she compare her to... herself?

[ashley0139]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 7:04pm

Haha interesting. But if Jason Robert Brown says it...

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 7:40pm

I actually thought it was the Virgin Mary.

Posted: 12/6/06 at 3:37pm

yeah, i too saw JRB's comment and wondered how she could be the Virgin Mary if she talks about Mary in the song. Interesting.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 3:46pm

Well I think it's safe to say that "Mother Mary" is in fact THE "Virgin Mary." Maybe Mary had a mother named Mary!

Now THAT would make a great Gregory Maguire book.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 4:41pm

I think people end up thinking it's Mary because they don't really listen to the Mother Mary lyric and base their assumptions totally on the child she's carrying. She talks about "the future of the world inside of her" etc. I agree that she really can't be Mary. Maybe she's Martha carrying John. Mary and Martha were pregnant around the same time...yeah who knows.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 5:03pm

The lovely thing about the song is that it could be Mary singing, if you want it to be (probably not the strongest acting choice, but still).

The song is, imho, best when done as the MOMENT of decision, rather than (as JRB suggests) the moment after a decision. It gives you more subtext to draw on and motivate the lyrics if you use it as a moment of decision.

Also, if you listen to the track of songs that the character in the show sings, this song has a very interesting dilema to it.