words and music by Rick Paul

Walking down the downtown streets
I see dancing Christmas lights
And the tinsel on the Christmas trees
Shimmers in the night
There’s a cardboard Santa advertising
The sale at the corner store
And the streets are trimmed in red and green
With wreathes on every door

But it started in a manger
One cold wintry night
No tinseled trees, no Santa Claus
No twinkling Christmas lights
And the Babe was born on a bed of hay
While the ox and lamb looked on
There were no presents under a tree
That first cold Christmas dawn

Underneath the freeway ramp
A tall, dark figure stands
Rubbing palms beneath his nose
To try and warm his hands
And though he’ll have no bed tonight
No gifts under a tree
He knows Christmas is for him
The same as you and me

‘Cause it started in a manger
One cold wintry night
No tinseled trees, no Santa Claus
No twinkling Christmas lights
And the Babe was born on a bed of hay
While the ox and lamb looked on
There were no presents under a tree
That first cold Christmas dawn

Yes, it started in a manger
One cold wintry night
No tinseled trees, no Santa Claus
No twinkling Christmas lights
And the Babe was born on a bed of hay
While the ox and lamb looked on
There were no presents under a tree
That first cold Christmas dawn