# What is the meaning behind Toby Keith's Song Mary It's Christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960 "2016-11-07T15:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/1 "2016-11-07T15:57:03Z")
Great song. Not entirely sure what it’s alluding to. At first it seems like a divorced couple. The guy just has to see his ex; Because it’s Christmas Then it gets a bit morbid. Is he at the cemetery? Her grave? Finally a reference to being on his knees. Is he at a church alter? Praying to The Virgin Mary? Praying to his dead wife? Yeah, I’m dazed and confused. Home sick with a fever. Trying to cheer up with holiday music. Google gives me the meaning of Christmas. Not the meaning of the song. Lyrics > **[Toby Keith – Mary, It's Christmas](https://genius.com/Toby-keith-mary-its-christmas-lyrics)** > > \[Verse 1\] / You should see all the lights in our old neighborhood / I never thought that little street could ever look so good / I knew that she would be busy, it is her favorite Performance [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RU7fT7Pu9MU/maxresdefault.jpg "Mary, It's Christmas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU7fT7Pu9MU) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/2 "2016-11-07T16:00:29Z")
She’s dead. > [@](#): > > Well, she is started asking questions > Though she is barely two > Like, if reindeer fly to heaven > Would Santa bring her love to you Mention of heaven. He has custody of a young daughter. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/3 "2016-11-07T16:02:15Z")
I suspected that. 😉 But is he at the grave or church? Odd song for the holidays. But it is compelling. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/4 "2016-11-07T16:05:20Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I suspected that. 😉 > > But is he at the grave or church? > > Odd song for the holidays. But it is compelling. Graveyard. > [@](#): > > Do not the snow sure look pretty, as the flakes are falling down > It is a blanket from heaven covering the ground > And that cold wind can cut a man clear to the bone > I guess it is time I got up and took myself back home You keep asking questions, I’ll wind up quoting the whole song and the mods will _not_ be happy. 😉 ETA: Remember, this is country music. Subtlety isn’t a part of it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/5 "2016-11-07T16:09:02Z")
That confirms my suspicions. I kept thinking it can’t be that because it’s a Christmas song. Won’t be playing this Christmas Eve. Lol. Perhaps other times of the year. Thanks running coach ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/6 "2016-11-07T16:15:17Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > That confirms my suspicions. \*\* I kept thinking it can’t be that because it’s a Christmas song. > \*\* > Won’t be playing this Christmas Eve. Lol. Perhaps other times of the year. > Thanks running coach I invite you to listen to _[Christmas Shoes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpkI7GW2V34)_. Actually, don’t. You will claw your face off trying to escape. Patton Oswalt rips _Christmas Shoes_ to shreds. NSFW language. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq10bz3PxyY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq10bz3PxyY) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/7 "2016-11-07T17:15:53Z")
Murder Ballads are an old tradition in Country Music and Bluegrass. Banks of the Ohio is a classic. > **[Banks of the Ohio](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banks_of_the_Ohio)** > > "Banks of the Ohio", also known as "Down on the Banks of the Ohio" and "I'll Never Be Yours", is a 19th-century murder ballad, written by unknown authors. The lyrics tell of "Willie" who invites his young lover for a walk during which she rejects his marriage proposal, and once they are alone on the river bank, he murders the young woman. > The song was first recorded by country musicians in 1927, and has been performed by many country and folk singers since. Olivia Newton-John released a version... Modern country rarely writes Murder Ballads anymore. One will slip in occasionally. Johnny Cash caught massive flack for recording Delia’s Gone in the mid 90’s. But, Cash always liked dark songs. Long Black Veil is one of his standards. Delia’s Gone is actually pretty good. Just don’t play it repeatedly around your gf or wife. 😃 > **[Johnny Cash - Delia's Gone Lyrics | AZLyrics.com](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnnycash/deliasgone.html)** > > Johnny Cash "Delia's Gone": Delia, oh, Delia Delia all my life If I hadn't have shot poor Delia I'd have had her for my wife... I guess a Christmas song about a dead wife had to happen eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/8 "2016-11-07T17:24:29Z")
While we’re doing ambiguous “Is she gone or is she dead” songs, how about John Hiatt’s [Crossing Muddy Waters](http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858568870/)? The first lyric references her taking a flatboat cross the shallow. So…she just left. But later in the song, she’s “In a rush of wind and river of song I can hear my true love moaning Crying for her baby child Or crying for her husband” Lots of death imagery in the song. So it’s one of those works where you think it’s one thing at the beginning, but at the end, you’re not so sure. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-meaning-behind-toby-keiths-song-mary-its-christmas/770960/9 "2016-11-07T17:41:23Z")
Oh man, I LOVED Toby Keith in _A Family Affair_! Glad to see he’s still contributing to the _Zeitgeist_! The song? Yeah, she’s deader’ a mackerel.