Saddest Song Nominee: The Christmas Shoes

Saddest Song Nominee
The Christmas Shoes
Newsong

In 2000, a gravely voiced Christian singing group Newsong, released a CD with a "bonus track", a story song written by Bob Carlisle called The Christmas Shoes. It was an anecdote of a man waiting in line at a department store near Christmas eve overhearing a boy trying to buy some shoes for his mother. You see, she's sick and dying and will "meet Jesus tonight". The lad hopes he has enough pennies to get her these beautiful shoes which are just her size, so she'll look nice when she goes to heaven. He is a little short on funds and our narrator chips in to help the little fella out. The storyteller thus learns the true meaning of Christmas. The End. The Christmas Shoes only hit the low end of the top forty on both the country and pop charts, but became a Christmas staple for radio stations who need a boatload of records when they switch to non-stop holiday music around November 1. A cover version by country ladies 3 of Hearts did equally well about a year later. Newsong released a Christmas album featuring the tune which was nominated for a Grammy as Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.

A series of short novels inspired by the song were published beginning in 2002, followed by three TV movies. The first two movies were for the CBS television network and the first one featured the heavenly Kimberly Williams as the sickly mom with the presumably slovenly footwear. The song itself is quite probably the saddest song ever recorded, with its Christmas references, a dying parent, and (in the Newsong version) a childrens' choir and a scratchy-voiced recitation. Check out the various versions below and see if you don't agree. The worst is probably by 3 of Heart with the oddest by the hip-hop group, FM Static. Comedian Patton Oswalt has an entire stand-up routine about his reaction to hearing the song which is hilarious, though be warned that it is R-rated stuff. I've also provided the link to the first book and the first TV movie. By the way, the Wikipedia entry for this song claims it was inspired by an internet story, but I can find no evidence for that.

Newsong

3 of Hearts

FM Static

Patton Oswalt Stand-up Routine

A talent show home video of two adorable Asian-American children using actual shoes as props!

Book

TV Movie

He counted pennies for what seemed like years,
And cashier says son there's not enough here,
He searched his pockets frantically,
And he turned and he looked at me,
He said Momma made Christmas good at our house,
Though most years she just did without,
Tell me Sir,
What am I gonna do?
Some how I’ve got to buy her these Christmas shoes!