Favorite Doubting Believer Christmas Songs–Day One

Recently I had to explain to my 16-year-old that No Doubt was the name of a punk band that Gwen Stefani was in before she was Gwen Stefani.

Their cover of the Vandals “Oi to the World” makes my favorite Christmas song list because it captures the hope of Christmas as well as espousing the sound theology that God coming on Christmas Day means that “everybody wins.”

Note: the lyrics are below the video. Follow along as they are hard to understand on a first listen.

Haji was a punk just like any other boy
And he never had no trouble till he started up his band
Safe in the garage or singing in the tub
Till Haji went too far and he plugged in at the pub

‘Twas a cold Christmas eve when Trevor and the skins
Popped in for a pint and to nick a back of crisps
Trevor liked the music but not the Unity
He unwound Haji’s turban and he knocked him to his knees

If God came down on Christmas Day
I know exactly what He’d say
He’d say “Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins
and Oi to the world and everybody wins!”

Haji was a bloody mess, he ran out through the crowd
he said “we’ll meet again we are bloody but not unbowed”
Trevor called his bluff and told him where to meet
Christmas day on the roof down at 20 Oxford street

If God came down on Christmas Day
I know exactly what He’d say
He’d say “Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins
and Oi to the world and everybody wins!”

On the roof with the nun chucks Trevor broke a lot of bones
But Haji had a sword like the guy in Indiana Jones

Police sirens wailing, a bloody dying man
Haji was alone and abandoned by his band
Trevor was there fading and still so full of hate
When the skins left him there and went down the fire escape
Oi! Oi!

But then Haji saw the north star shining more than ever
So he made a tourniquet from his turban saving Trevor
They rappelled down the roof with the rest of the turban
and went back to the pub where they bought each other bourbon

If God came down on Christmas Day
I know exactly what He’d say
He’d say “Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins
and Oi to the world and everybody wins!”

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1 thought on “Favorite Doubting Believer Christmas Songs–Day One”

  1. Thank you for these great lyrics- I am heading to Bale Elementary to read with the news that Roy Moore did not win- This Democratic victory gives me hope- So does your blog- I thank you, Anne

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