"DON'T STOP BELIEVING"

(Bear with me....I have a lot of time on my hands....and mind....so this is a bit...well, bizarre....)

Do you remember the movie titled, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" with Steve (Banjo) Martin and John Candy?  Let me test your memory some more.  Do you remember the scene where they are sharing a hotel room and Steve Martin gets angry at John Candy and goes off on a berating tirade?  He reveals all the annoying things that John has done while on their quest to make it home for Thanksgiving.  One of his complaints was about how John Candy would tell a story that does not have a point to it.  I think he said something like:  "The next time you tell a story, why don't you try something new like, HAVING A POINT!!"  

You could see John Candy near the point of crying and he then leaves the room to go sleep in the windowless car in the middle of a snow storm.  It left the viewers, including me, feeling really bad for him.

I needed to tell you all that because the following story may NOT have a point to it.  The story may NOT even be funny.  I just ask that you don't treat me like John Candy -- just humor me!  The story is real and it made me laugh, so I thought I would share it with you.

It was New Year's Eve (2012) here in my "house" and I could not fall asleep.  I was listening to the radio and scanning channels to find a New Year's Eve Celebration.  I stopped on a station that had a melody I recognized and they were singing words about Jesus, so I knew it was a Christian station.  I tuned in just as the song ended.  I waited to hear what song was going to play next.  I was very "confused" by what I heard next.

The instruments had a haunting, lonely sound as they began -- I recognized this tune, but it was an old classic song by the band "Journey".  But why a Christian station would be playing this song was baffling.  I was confused.  Then the vocalist started to sing and I expected the classic words, "She was a lonely girl...Born and raised in South Detroit...".
But the lyrics they sang didn't match.  In fact, the vocalist sounded a little "off", too.  I turned up the volume so I could hear better.  I didn't quite get the beginning, but it sounded like they sang, "She was a PREGNANT girl...on her way to BETHLEHEM"...

I began to question my hearing, which has been known to be a bit impaired at times....or perhaps when I CHOOSE for it to be impaired.  I continued to listen mostly because I like the original song.  The chorus to the original song goes like this, "Don't stop believing..."  The new version of this chorus is what made me laugh...

They were telling the story of Jesus' birth which includes an evacuation to Egypt to avoid King Herod's new law to kill all the boy children.  So the chorus went like this: (I should prepare you and make sure you are sure you are sitting down to avoid any broken bones in case you fall down laughing hysterically)  Are you ready???

The chorus was, "Don't stop 'til Egypt..."

Did you find that as funny as I did?  (or is this truly one of those "pointless stories"?)  I never caught the name of the artist that performed this version, but they were pretty "bold".  It makes me wonder what other classic rock songs could be converted to become Christian songs?  How about "I'm on a... Highway to Heaven", or "You Can't Always Get What You Want...Unless You Pray" or if you want to include the disco theme "Stayin' Alive ...In Christ".

Okay, I heard you...I'll stop naming songs now.

After listening to this unusual song, I lost any hope of falling asleep anytime soon because I was now thinking through a list of songs that could be "CONVERTED" to Christian words.  If there is a point to be made here, it could be:

1.  Don't listen to Christian Radio Stations in Pittsburgh late at night
or
2.  Don't convert lyrics to a classic old song EVER.

I'll let you pick one that applies.  I will go and sit in the "car" now.  :-)

But I'm going to leave you with MY version of an old song I converted...

"Just sit right down and hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this Egypt town
A long time ago.

The Pharoah started getting mad
and Chased them to the sea......."

Oh, alright....I won't give up my day job.....WAIT....I don't HAVE a day job!!!!

Hope you all have a Happy New Year....in spite of the fact that you now have these songs in your head...LOL!

McFreedom