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19th Annual Great American Song Contest
First Place winner / Lyric Writing
category
"Christmas In Bethlehem"
© Mark Stepakoff
Wellesley MA
I was driving through the Lehigh Valley, headed north
To spend Christmas Eve in Scranton with my son and his new wife
Windshield wipers brushed the wet snow back and forth
But the fog it was so thick that you could cut it with a knife
And to be completely candid
I did not mind being stranded
I was tired and lately I’ve been pretty stressed
Spotted a familiar sign
Over near the Jersey line
Figured I could really use the rest
So I’m spending the holiday in
The Holiday Inn
And the Pennsylvania air is damp and cold
I’m 62 and here I am
It’s Christmas Day in Bethlehem
Nazareth is right on up the road
Once the nation’s bridges, ships and skyscrapers
Were fashioned out of steel that bears this city’s name
Till one day they gave everyone their walking papers
The plant is a casino now, with slots and table games
And people come from far and near
About a million every year
To lay their money down or pull the lever
And as I sit here and stretch my legs
And contemplate my powdered eggs
I’m thinking ‘bout how nothing lasts forever
I’m spending the holiday inn
The Holiday Inn
The Gideon in the drawer is worn and old
No manger here and no wise men
Just Christmas day in Bethlehem
Nazareth is right on up the road
My granddad worked the furnace till his heart attack
But I had not been back here since I was a little kid
Now it stands near the pavilion as an artifact
A testament to all the things his generation did
The Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate
Drilling rigs and railroad freights
Barges on the Continental Shelf
This city’s coming back they say
I just might stay another day
Feels like I’m on the comeback trail myself
Spending the holiday in
The Holiday Inn
Lord thank you for the blessings you’ve bestowed
On each and every poor pilgrim
Who’s found their way to Bethlehem
Nazareth is right on up the road
I’m spending the holiday in
The Holiday Inn
© Mark Stepakoff
Website: website
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