What a Christmas It Is!
Seasons Greetings from Texas,
I wish a joy-filled holiday season to all of the fine folks, fans, friends, and familia from around the world from the bottom of my heart. With people like you in my corner "Every Day Is Christmas."
This past year that followed Christmas of 2018 focused on the writing, rehearsing, recording, and releasing of For the Love of Western Swing (& Other Love Songs). It proved to be quite the worthwhile and rewarding effort in that it has led to great reviews and media coverage and also to my 14th tour of Europe, in May and June of 2020. We've confirmed these dates so far:
Terrassa/Barcelona, Spain,
Laufen/BL, Switzerland,
Siegershausen/TG, Switzerland,
Untermeitingen, Germany,
Bad Ischl, Austria (two nights!)
Orpund, Switzerland
Gisikon/LU (Swiss Line Dance Event)
Bettenhausen/BE, Switzerland (two nights!)
Liebefeld/BE, Switzerland
Schwarzenegg/BE, Switzerland
My family, like yours, has had its share of positive moments and struggles both. But we always manage to rise above the obstacles that life presents. We certainly appreciate having you on our side. Yvonna and I wish you a most wonderful time of the year and we ask you to remember those who may be spending the holidays alone.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
john Arthur & Yvonna
What a Christmas It Was!
By john Arthur martinez
Mama left daddy early Christmas Eve
when he came home late with too much to drink
And I know now she did what she had to do
My sister and me didn’t understand
but daddy wasn’t ready to be a man
So mama drove us back to the safest place she knew
The farmhouse smelled of homemade bread
instead of daddy’s beer and cigarettes and
everybody prayed for my mama my sister & me
On Christmas day we filled our souls
at the cowboy church & grandma stove
and the magic underneath that cedar tree
And what a Christmas it was
What a Christmas it was
No angry words no mamas tears and no one drank a drop of beer
What a Christmas it was
What a Christmas it was
No broken plates or promises
it was all about the birth of Christ
And what a Christmas it was!
Between my grandma’s cookin’ and the sing-alongs
My sister and me felt like we really belonged
And we sure ate up everything my grandpa said
We opened the gifts Grandma made from scratch
Hours of love with devoted hands
A dress for my sister, a quilt for my mama’s bed
Then Grandpa smiled and winked at me
Said, "Son there's something you'll wanna see."
Almost stepped on his heels as I followed him to the shed
And there it was. A shiny boys bike
No it wasn't brand new but man what a ride
With training wheels and a fresh coat of fire truck red!