Rehearsal tapes of the modern folk singer-songwriter Christmas musical featuring the minor characters and minor moments we often overlook that are brimming with fresh insights into a story we thought we knew inside and out…

“There just might be a reason
that all of us are here,
even if we’re not the center 
of the story – nowhere near.
If you take another look, 
take a minute, 
take two, you might see something 
that is true as true is true.
You might see 
something for you. “

Tracks like “How Can This Be?” (Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, https://on.soundcloud.com/rsrtuypXVuFS6TeXio) and  “A Reason to Sing” (Gloria, the innkeeper's wife, https://on.soundcloud.com/JoG86Shgk8ujk7CnhB) and the Angel Gabriel's "You can believe - or not ( https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/you-can-believe-or-not-gabriel) are first glimpses. 

These are rehearsal-tape recordings—raw, intimate, and in-process. Serious inquiries welcome from creative collaborators who see the possibilities here and catch a vision for what their magic might help this project become.

Don't Blink

Hello? 
Is there anybody out there.
All of a sudden I am out where
I really don't belong.

Why?
Remind me why I thought that leaving
Would set me loose from what I'm feeling
Not make the feeling grow.

God?
If you're there I sure could use you.
I still remember how I'd choose you
Every time I didn't now.

How?
Could I feel you all around me?
I'd wander off until you found me.
I've wandered off again.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Take it in.
Let it out.
Just like you taught me to.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Take it in.
Let it all fall out.
'Till you find the way to you.

Now?
Have I used up all my findings?
The magic spells of my unwindings?
I'm all wound up again.

Hello?
Is there anybody out there?
All of a sudden I am out where.
I really don't belong.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Take it in.
Let it out.
Just like you taught me to.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Take it in.
Let it all fall out.
'Till you find the way to you.


Words and music by Stefan Lanfer (c) 2021

The Way to You

One minute the skies went grey
We got soaked to the skin
It was that kind of horrible day.
But the next minute just as suddenly we found
When something said, "Stop! You better turn yourself around."
And my God
Right there
What a feeling in the air
As a million light beams bend
A double rainbow end to end

And all is well
Everything is well
Everything is well with my soul

One minute everything that you say
Makes me so angry I feel myself going grey
But the next minute just as suddenly we found
When a look from our miracle child say, "Turn this around."
And my God, can it be?
In an instant we agree.
And all my anger breaks.
What a difference a moment makes.

And all is well
Everything is well
Everything is well with my soul

One minute we all keep far away
It's all for the best is what all the experts say
But the next minute just as suddenly we found
Such a beautiful mess of
Good people around
And my God, whatever you believe about it all
It's a reprieve!
But there's a million different ways
All the colors stuck on grays

Will it ever all be well?
Weill it all just go to hell?
With all of us digging deeper than before?

I know it all depends
On how this story ends
And if the next minute brings some miracle
To make it all well.

The Next Minute

Singer-songwriter, piano, inspired by - When the kids say, "I've found the one!" Just ask questions - three.

Lyrics:

VERSE

Can’t you picture it - one day
Our kids, when they say,
“I’ve found the one, and what I feel -” 
“All I know is this is real.”

VERSE
of course we’ll never know
Where the winds of life will blow.
So, when they come to you and me 
Let’s just ask them questions - three: 

CHORUS
What do they help you see?			
Who do they help you be?
What’s the more  -           
through that door ? (What’s the more?)

VERSE
When our folks, with all their fears
And the wisdom of their years
Still played the odds on you and me 
All they asked were questions - three: 

CHORUS
What do they help you see?			
Who do they help you be?
What’s the more  
through that door ? (What’s the more?)

BRIDGE
Far beyond the ways		
you’re as wonderful as you are,
It’s all the more.                 
than all we were before.

CHORUS
It’s what you help me see.			
It’s who you help me be.
It’s the more -           
through that door (all the more).

What's the More?

“A Reason to Sing” by Stefan Lanfer is a modern folk-Christmas ballad that reimagines the nativity from the perspective of the innkeeper’s wife. With acoustic warmth and poetic lyrics, it explores hospitality, humility, and the quiet moments that reveal true glory.

Lyrics:

When every room is full of a guest, my husband says, 
“Gloria!” Aren’t we so blessed?”
But, though we don’t lack for a thing, that isn’t a reason I sing:

Glo ri	a.	Glo 	ri	a.	Glo 			ria.	

I’ve never cared about the money. 
I’m happy family always stays for free
With the cousins and the friends that they bring
But that’s still not  a reason I sing:

Glo ri	a.	Glo 	ri	a.	Glo 			ria.	

“You think too much,” my husband says. 
I wish he would think some more
As he turns away that desperate pair, 
“There’s no room,” he says, and shuts the door.
But I catch them at the gate. And I show them to the place - 
not exactly fit for a king.
And the look in their eyes that says, 
“glory to God” That is a reason to sing:

Glo 	ri	a.	Glo 	ri	a.	Glo 			ria.	
Glo 	ri	a.	Glo 	ri	a.	Glo ria.

A reason to sing (the innkeeper's wife, feat. Maya Lanfer)

when your heart bursts with longing for the future you know is only possible - but you want it all

get the backstory on this one and more at: https://stefanlanfer.substack.com/

Lyrics:

CHORUS

I want it all. 

VERSE

Look at you baby girl. Look at you.
Sleeping there in my arms. 
Are you real?
My girl, my baby girl, 
the things I feel 
Counting all the precious gifts 
that life could steal

CHORUS

I want it all.	

VERSE

Are you dreaming, baby girl? Or is your mind clear?
Are you back inside the womb - 
not a worry or a care?
I’m dreaming, baby girl, 
‘bout the road ahead of you.
all the places that you’ll go 
and all the things you’ll do.

BRIDGE

I know nothing’s promised. 
Every moment is a gift.
That I should just be present. 
All your days will run so swift.
I know that’s right. 
I tell myself 
not to want the things I do.
Don’t blink or you might miss it 
is good advice and true.

CHORUS

But I want it all.

I Want it All

“How Can This Be?” is an acoustic folk meditation drawn from one of the quieter corners of the Christmas story—when the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah with news too wild to believe: he and his aging wife Elizabeth will have a son. And not just any son—John the Baptist.

This song imagines Zechariah’s stunned, very human reaction. Not rebellion. Not disbelief. Just… an honest question:

“How can this be?”

With intimate, personal lyrics, this track reflects on what it means to encounter something holy in the middle of an ordinary, well-settled life—and how grace still shows up even when we ask questions.

Inspired by Luke 1:5–25, 57–66, this is a story-song for skeptics, seekers, and the ones who don’t get it all right—but still get to be part of the miracle.

Lyrics:

VERSE:

Life can be so strange
It seems by now that I would learn
To expect the unexpected
To see around the turn

VERSE:

But when I get settled in
When I get in my groove
It seems like nothing in the world
No nothing can make me move

PRE-CHORUS:

Until it does
Until I do
Until I can’t
Keep coasting through

CHORUS:

How can this be?
Have you had a look at me?
I want to believe.
But how can this be?

VERSE:

Sometimes that is a question
On the tip of every tongue
It’s not just ‘cause I’m old
It was the same when I was young
And what also hasn’t changed
No matter what the task
If there’s something
Funny about it
You can count on me to ask
PRE-CHORUS:

That’s just it.
That’s the way I do.
I just can’t
Coasting through

CHORUS:

How can this be?
Have you had a look at me?
I want to believe.
But how can this be?

BRIDGE:

I’d say so if I could
I”ll just write the same
It’s not the choice I woulda gone with
But John’s his name.

PRE-CHORUS:

That’s just it.
It’s my choice!
And just like that
You can hear my voice.

CHORUS:

How can this be?
Have you had a look at me?
I want to believe.
But how can this be?

How can this be? (Zechariah)

The wise men's song from "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

The Magi’s wisdom wasn’t just in reading the stars—it was in daring to defy a king. ✨ “By Another Way” reimagines the three wise men’s story as a song of unity, wonder, and choosing a different path.

Lyrics:

Verse

We three as one we read the signs

And history and shrines the things we see

The same with these six eyes

And that is how you know that we are wise

Chorus

Go back by another way go back by another way go back by another way

Verse

We’ve come so far following a star

Rising from the east it stood out like a beast

So plain into these six eyes

And that is how you know that we are wise

Chorus

Go back by another way go back by another way go back by another way

Bridge

It’s true we all were glad 

that other king wasn’t half bad

He supplied our missing piece and the star reappeared in the east

Good Lord, wasn’t that wild how it settled right above The child?

Chorus

Back by another way, go back by another way go back by another way

Verse

We three as one woke up from a dream

Strange as it may seem

The dream we see the same with these six eyes

And that is how you know that we are wise

Chorus

Go back by another way go back by another way. Go back by another way go back by another way…

By another way (wise men; feat. Drew + James Lanfer)

"Just a Father" is Joseph’s aching prayer in "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

In this song, Joseph wrestles with doubts that have dogged him since he first entered stage right. Years after that first visit from a heavenly messenger, he faces the boy he agreed to raise — now twelve years old, confidently stepping away from his parents into the life that calls him, already wiser than any can fathom.

Part lament, part confession, part heartfelt pledge, “Just a Father” is a song of love and hope, dismay and frustration, and - finally - faith and faithfulness, all bound up together. 

Lyrics:

VERSE:

I would have called him Joseph. No one would ask us why.
But you asked me to trust you and a message from on high.

CHORUS:

It’s no small thing to ask. It’s no small thing I’ve done.
Believing better angels telling me that he’s the one.
This boy, this boy, this boy - like no other kind of son
And me, I’m just a father wondering, “Who will he become?”

VERSE:

“My father’s house,” he said and “didn’t you know” as if to shame
the both of us, like he’s through with us, who gave the boy his name.

CHORUS:

It’s no small thing to ask. It’s no small thing I’ve done.
Believing better angels telling me that he’s the one.
This boy, this boy, this boy - like no other kind of son
And me, I’m just a father wondering, “Who will he become?”

BRIDGE:

I know I share the blame. But what am I to do?
When here we are again - you asking me to trust in you
And in our boy - our gift from heaven. He always knows the way
And everything to do and exactly what to say.

CHORUS:

It’s no small thing to ask. It’s no small thing I’ve done.
Believing better angels telling me that he’s the one.
This boy, this boy, this boy - like no other kind of son

JOSEPH:
You know I wanna be faithful. But I’m still wondering - who will he become?

Just a father (Joseph)

“Something for you” is the opening number and title song to the new modern folk singer-songwriter Christmas musical, "Don't blink"

This musical brings forward the minor characters in the first Christmas story — shepherds, innkeepers, fathers and mothers — those whose names we might know, or not. In any case, we rarely linger in their company, and can be left to wonder why the author even included them. "Don't blink" also invites us deeper into previously unexamined moments with the more central characters - Joseph, Mary, the angel Gabriel - to help us grasp how it felt for them to be caught up in this great, grand, mysterious narrative.  

“Something for you” raises the central theme for the whole project:

👉 The heroes at center-stage aren’t the only ones whose stories can point the way to the universal and profound.

With acoustic warmth, lyrical honesty, and a modern folk sensibility, “Something to See” invites listeners to pause, look again, and discover what surprising truths are right there in plain view, waiting to be seen at the edges, between the lines, just below the surface of a story many of us thought we knew inside and out.

LYRICS:

VERSE

You might see me, if you see me, on the outside of the frame,
A kind of “also ran” - you might never know my name.
Maybe all you’ll know is I’m a husband or a wife,
A shepherd or a wise man, just living out my life.

CHORUS

There just might be a reason that all of us are here,
Even if we’re not the center of the story - nowhere near?
If you take a another look, take a moment, take two - 
You might see something that is true as true is true
You might see something for you.

VERSE

I know I’m not the hero. Not many of us are. 
But what if there’s a message written to us in the stars?
Any one of us might hold an illuminating piece
Of the puzzle, whether ours is the greatest or the least.

CHORUS

There just might be a reason that all of us are here,
Even if we’re not the center of the story - nowhere near?
If you take a another look, take a moment, take two - 
You might see something that is true as true is true
You might see something for you.

BRIDGE

You might think truth a fiction some people believe,
Candy that the masses mindlessly receive.
So be fearless with your questions.
Don’t hide it when you doubt.
And never fear to look.
Who knows what you’ll find out?

CHORUS

There just might be a reason that all of us are here,
Even if we’re not the center of the story - nowhere near?
If you take a another look, take a moment, take two - 
You might see something that is true as true is true
You might see something for you.

Something for you

✨ From the modern folk Christmas musical “Don't blink”, FAITHFUL is a duet between Joseph and the angel Gabriel, as Joseph wrestles with doubt and heartbreak after learning of Mary’s pregnancy. Gabriel steps in with encouraging words, perspective on what can and can’t ever really be known, and a call to live a life of faith even when you don’t feel like it or understand it.

LYRICS:

CHORUS
		   
Joseph:	Faithful. Faithful. Faithful
		Is what I want to be and be called faithful.

VERSE

Joseph: 	I was so confused, I felt abused - that she would stray

Gabriel:	She never has, she’s always been true to you for all her days [she has been]

CHORUS

Gabriel: 	Faithful. Faithful. Faithful

Joseph:	Is what I want to be and be called faithful.

VERSE 

Joseph:	So you’re saying my - my first take…

Gabriel:	A big mistake!

Joseph:	How can I know?

Gabriel:	You can’t you won’t. What’s true is true. And all that counts is what you do. 
[So be]

CHORUS

Both: 		Faithful. Faithful. Faithful

Is what I want to be and be called faithful.

BRIDGE

Joseph:	But you’re just a dream!

Gabriel:	[Hah!] How real do I seem?

Joseph:	What about when I wake up?

Gabriel:	Pour the wine and drink it up!

CHORUS

Both: 		[And be] Faithful. Faithful. Faithful

Is what I want to be and be called faithful.

		Faithful. Faithful. Faithful

Is what I want to be and be called faithful.

Faithful (Joseph + Gabriel; feat. Drew Lanfer)

"...all who heard it were amazed." 

A raw, piano-driven ballad from "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

 “A fair question” is the song of the “all” (as in "all who heard it were amazed") who heard the shepherds tell their breathless story of what they had just witnessed. Closer than any of us and yet, like us, left to grapple with doubt and faith about what’s real and what it means, when all we have to go on is what other people saw and experienced, and what they say about it.

LYRICS

VERSE:

I didn’t see what they saw
All I’ve got to go on is,  
Same as you it’s just their story - 
This whole star and angel biz.
First one, and then a lot of them
The night sky bright as day,
Talking wonders ‘bout some baby
Born in Bethlehem. OK…

CHORUS

If I didn’t know these guys,
Didn’t hear and didn’t see
For myself what had come over them,
Would I still believe?
It’s a fair question - 
To be honest - I don’t know.
I feel for you, I really do,
As the distance grows.
It’s a fair question - 
Would I still believe?
If I were in your shoes - I might just leave. 

VERSE

A baby’s nothing special.
They show up all the time.
But this was no repeat, they said
It’s history when it rhymes
We saw him with our own eyes
Just like the angels said
Wrapped up and in a manger
His parents at his head.

CHORUS

If I didn’t know these guys,
Didn’t hear and didn’t see
For myself what had come over them,
Would I still believe?
It’s a fair question - 
To be honest - I don’t know.
I feel for you, I really do,
As the distance grows.
It’s a fair question - 
Would I still believe?
If I were in your shoes - I might just leave. 

BRIDGE

All who heard it were amazed.
I was too 
By that look in their faces - 
Could a lie do that to you?
What would be the reason
To make up such a tale
To sell it like a promise
If the whole thing’s doomed to fail?

CHORUS

If I didn’t know these guys,
Didn’t hear and didn’t see
For myself what had come over them,
Would I still believe?
It’s a fair question - 
To be honest - I don’t know.
I feel for you , I really do,
As the distance grows.
It’s a fair question - 
Would I still believe?
If I were in your shoes - I might just leave.

A fair question

The opening words of the musical from our narrator, Luke (as in "the Gospel according to..."), over the piano introduction to the the opening number,, "Something for you" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/something-for-you)

LUKE: Most excellent people! Many have tried to make sense of what has happened in our midst. And though I was not there myself, so that I might write an orderly account, I have carefully investigated everything and spoken at length with many witnesses - both those of whom you have no doubt heard and those easily missed and forgotten. Because their story, like your story and mine, is somehow part of this thing too.

###

“Something for you” is the opening number and title song to the new modern folk singer-songwriter Christmas musical, "Don't blink"

This musical brings forward the minor characters in the first Christmas story — shepherds, innkeepers, fathers and mothers — those whose names we might know, or not. In any case, we rarely linger in their company, and can be left to wonder why the author even included them. "Don't blink" also invites us deeper into previously unexamined moments with the more central characters - Joseph, Mary, the angel Gabriel - to help us grasp how it felt for them to be caught up in this great, grand, mysterious narrative.  

“Something for you” raises the central theme for the whole project:

👉 The heroes at center-stage aren’t the only ones whose stories can point the way to the universal and profound.

With acoustic warmth, lyrical honesty, and a modern folk sensibility, “Something for you” invites listeners to pause, look again, and discover what surprising truths are right there in plain view, waiting to be seen at the edges, between the lines, just below the surface of a story many of us thought we knew inside and out.

Something for you (Dialogue Track)

Dialogue leading into "You can believe - or not" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/you-can-believe-or-not), Gabriel's song from the "Don't Blink" modern folk Christmas musical project that focuses on the minor characters with major insights from the story of the first Christmas.

Text: 

It's a fair question. “How can this be?” Zechariah asks.

“Because I said so,” is the answer, more or less. “I am Gabriel.” the angel says, “And now you will be silent until what I have told you comes to pass, because you did not believe my words.”

For an honest question, Zechariah is stricken mute. 

Unlike the young woman, Mary, in Nazareth, not long after, when she hears an even more baffling prediction: “You will conceive and give birth to a son,” Gabriel says to her.”

“How will this be?” she asks, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel simply answers Mary’s question - explaining how the Holy Spirit would come upon her. “You are highly favored,” he says, “the Lord is with you!”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” is Mary’s answer. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” And maybe that’s the difference.

The angel leaves her - thinking what?... Believed or not believed. Received or not received. Even though he is Gabriel, who stands in the presence of the Lord, what if he doesn’t fully understand either?

He knows what the message is, and who it’s for, and how to get it to them. But that doesn’t mean he knows why or what it means other than to say, 

“I am who I am 

and I have been sent to you 

to tell you this good news.”

You can believe - or not (dialogue track)

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

The lead in to "How can this be?" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/how-can-this-be) - Zechariah's song, grappling with news from the Angel Gabriel that he and his wife, Sarah, though they are old, will soon have a son, and name him John. From "Don't blink" - the modern folk Christmas musical that centers on the minor characters with major insights, and the minor moments often overlooked in the lives of the major characters of a story we might have thought we already knew inside and out.

Text:

Our story begins with a message from Heaven.

During the reign of King Herod, in Judea, an old priest, called Zechariah, was in the temple, alone at the altar, burning incense, when an angel appeared to him.

He was terrified.

But the angel said: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; the Lord has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. And, in the power of Elijah, he will prepare the way for the Lord.”

Now Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for this, for years and years. Yet they were now so very old, they had long since given up hope of it being fulfilled.

The angel’s promise seemed too impossible. Zechariah couldn’t help but ask,

 “How can this be?”

“Because I am Gabriel.” was the reply, “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to tell you this good news.”

“And now you will be silent until your son is born and you give him his name, which is John.”

How can this be? (dialogue track)

From the “Something to See” modern folk Christmas musical project, "Don't Fly Apart" is the song of Simeon’ - the old priest in the temple, where Mary and Joseph bring their new baby to be dedicated. Part prophecy and warning, part blessing, Simeon speaks with tenderness and urgency: hold fast to each other, he urges the young couple, even as heartache await. A folk singer-songwriter meditation on the whispered answers few can hear, the inevitability of suffering, seeking, steadfast faith, and faithfulness to each other, come what may.

LYRICS:

VERSE

When you walked in, when you handed me the child
The stirring in my spirit - it was wild.
I knew at once he was the one
That my days would soon be done.

CHORUS

Blessings on you both - you know he is a gift
Though as he grows as as he goes, It will rift
Friend from friend, kin from kin.
Don’t you too fly apart.
You will need each other. Life can be a spear to the heart.
You will need each other. Don’t fly apart.

VERSE

It’s not easy to explain 
how I know the things I know
What to say or what to do, 
when to stay or when to go

CHORUS

Blessings on you both - you know he is a gift
But as he grows as as he goes, It will rift
Friend from friend, kin from kin.
Don’t you too fly apart.
You will need each other. Life can be a spear to the heart.
You will need each other. Don’t fly apart.

BRIDGE:

His way ahead will cause some to fall and some to rise
What he says and what he does - few will recognize
Who he is or why he’s here or what it all will mean
To those who believe what you and I have seen.

CHORUS

Blessings on you both - you know he is a gift
But as he grows as as he goes, It will rift
Friend from friend, kin from kin
Don’t you too fly apart.
You will need each other. Life can be a spear to the heart.
You will need each other. Don’t fly apart.

Don't fly apart (Simeon)

The dialogue track, narrative lead-in to "Don't Fly Apart" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/dont-fly-apart), Simeon's song from "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

LUKE:

The time soon came for Mary and Joseph to present the baby Jesus at the temple - to dedicate him and to make sacrifices, as their tradition required - either two turtledoves or two young pigeons. When they entered the temple, a righteous and devout old man, called Simeon, came up to them. Simeon lived by the Spirit. He was one of those who is always listening carefully for whatever heaven might whisper in their ear. On that day, the Spirit had led Simeon to the temple - the same Spirit that had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and, as he held him, he knew who he was, and would become, and what it all would mean - for Israel, for the world, and for those two young parents: “And a sword,” he said, “will pierce your very soul.” as he praised God and prophesied over the child - a word of blessing and warning and wonder.

Don't fly apart (dialogue track)

The the narrative lead-in to "Faithful" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/faithful), Joseph and Gabriel's song from "Don't Blink", the modern folk Christmas musical from Stefan Lanfer featuring the minor characters with major insights into a story many of us thought we knew inside and out - the first Christmas.

Text:

The other account of these events that is most often attributed to Matthew, the tax collector turned one-of-the-twelve, begins with a genealogy of Jesus, and it traces his line all the way to the first fathers of our faith - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - then on down through three times fourteen generations of fathers - including the kings David and Solomon, whose mother, Bathsheba, is not named but (lest the subtext be forgotten) referred to as having been Uriah’s wife. Some will note that Bathsheba is one of only four mothers that our male narrator decided merited mention, until we are introduced to the final father - Joseph - who is, at the moment we return to our narrative, pledged to be married to the fifth mother, a mother to be - Mary, whom Joseph has just discovered is pregnant with a child that he knows is not his. “By the Spirit” is how she explained her unexpected expecting, which was not something included in the law to which Joseph was famously faithful to. Yet, despite his confusion and sadness at learning this news, he still cared for Mary enough that he did not want to expose her to public disgrace. The honorable thing to do, it seemed to him, was to divorce her quietly. And he very likely would have, if an angel had not appeared to him in a dream…

Faithful (Dialogue Track)

✨ "What I know" is Elizabeth’s song to her cousin, Mary, from "Don't Blink" - the modern folk Christmas musical that features the minor characters and minor moments that are more often overlooked, but which hold major insights into a story many of us thought we knew inside and out-  the first Christmas. Both women pregnant by a kind of miracle with children who will change the world, Elizabeth sings to Mary of believing what you feel in your bones and trusting what you know is real. 

LYRICS:

VERSE:

When I saw my happy cousin, right away I knew - 
There was something there about her unbelievable but true.
In her eyes  a certain something, in her step a certain spring
The word that came to me was “blessed.” I couldn’t help but sing:

CHORUS: 

The child in me - he more than moved, he more than kicked, he leapt.
In every way impossible, in every way except...
For what I see with my own eyes. For all the things I feel. 
The harder part would be to doubt when I know I know what's real
What I know, what I know, what I know, what I know.

VERSE:

“My husband’s just gone quiet - some kind of attack.
His voice just up and left him. Who knows? It might be back.
But while it’s gone, between us, cousin, let’s cut the man some slack.
Silence can be golden, or an aphrodisiac!

CHORUS: 

The child in me - he more than moved, he more than kicked, he leapt.
In every way impossible, in every way except...
For what I see with my own eyes. For all the things I feel. 
The harder part would be to doubt when I know I know what's real
What I know, what I know, what I know, what I know.

BRIDGE:

I couldn’t make this happen - all that’s happening to me,
Or believe it’s just an accident. No, this is destiny!
We’re part of it, you and me - this story being told.
Don’t ever let the doubters make you think that you’re too old.

CHORUS: 

The child in me - he more than moved, he more than kicked, he leapt.
In every way impossible, in every way except...
For what I see with my own eyes. For all the things I feel. 
The harder part would be to doubt when I know I know what's real
What I know, what I know, what I know, what I know.

What I know, what I know, what I know, what I know….

What I Know (Elizabeth; feat. Ashley Lanfer)

The narrative lead in to "What I know" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/what-i-know) from "Don't Blink" - the modern folk Christmas musical project that features the minor characters with major insights into a story many of us thought we knew inside and out. "What I know" is Elizabeth's song to her cousin, Mary, when they meet both pregnant with children who will change the world, by a kind of miracle.

Text:

Soon after, Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant, as the Angel Gabriel had said she would. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “He has shown me his favor, and taken away my disgrace.” As was their custom, Elizabeth went into seclusion for five months - during which Mary, as we have heard, also became pregnant. When she did, Mary hurried into the hill country of Judea to visit Elizabeth and Zechariah. When Mary entered their home, Zechariah was still unable to speak. So Mary called out her own greeting and, hearing it, Elizabeth felt something unlike anything she had ever felt before.

What I know (dialogue track)

The narrative lead-in to "My Guys" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/my-guys) - King Herod's song to the three wise men in "Don't Blink" - the modern folk Christmas musical with book and score by Stefan Lanfer, featuring the minor characters with major insights into a story many of us thought we knew inside and out.

Text:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, three Magi - sometimes called wise men, sometimes kings - showed up in Jerusalem and got themselves an audience with the King - Herod.

“Where is he,” they asked Herod, “the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star and have come to worship him.”

When the King heard this he was disturbed. And when King Herod was disturbed, all Jerusalem was disturbed - he was that kind of king.

And so he called together all the local big shots - the chief priests and teachers of the law, and he asked them where this king was supposed to be born. “In Bethlehem,” they said, “that’s what the prophets said.”

Then Herod summoned the Magi back and told them that Bethlehem was the place, and he urged them, “to search carefully for the child. And as soon as you find him,” he added, “come straight back to me with your report, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Backstory on My Guys: https://stefanlanfer.substack.com/p/the-story-of-king-herods-song

My guys (dialogue track)

The lead-in to "By another way" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/by-another-way?in=stefanlanfer/sets/something-for-you), the three wise men's song in "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

Text: 

Good news. And a place for you - if you want it - in the story. 

The shepherds didn’t waste any time. 

“Let’s go,” they said, and off they went to Bethlehem to see this thing the angels had chosen them to be the first see with their own eyes - Mary and Joseph and the baby, lying in the manger. 
Likewise, after meeting with King Herod, the Magi set off on their way, and the star they had seen before rose and went ahead of them again until it stopped over the place where the child was. 
Seeing the baby Jesus with his parents, the wise men were beside themselves. They bowed down and worshiped him, opening their treasures and giving gifts of gold and the precious oils - frankincense and myrrh. 

They would have returned to Herod then, as they had promised, to tell him all they had seen. 

Except that those three - all three as one - once again dreamed the very same dream.

By another way (dialogue track)

"Good news" is the shepherds' song, the moment they hear from a host of angels announcing the birth of Jesus; from "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

LYRICS 

VERSE
We were out in the fields,  keeping watch of our flocks by night
When an angel of the Lord appeared, all around us got blazing bright.

VERSE
Good Lord, were we are afraid. I bet you - you would be too
But “do not fear,” the angel said, “I bring good news to you.”

CHORUS
Peace on earth, good news, all the favor, great joy,
Born to you this day, the one and only baby boy.
God in heaven, the highest heaven, good news, all the glory.
And a place for you - if you want it - in the story.

VERSE
Then the one became many, a host of voices began to sing,
Praising God. We all knew we had to go to see this thing.

CHORUS
Peace on earth, good news, all the favor, great joy,
Born to you this day the one and only baby boy.
God in heaven, the highest heaven, good news, all the glory.
And a place for you - if you want it - in the story.

BRIDGE
“This will be a sign,” he said. “You’ll find the child in a manger bed,
“Underneath a star, very near to where we are.”

CHORUS
Peace on earth, good news, all the favor, great joy,
Born to you this day the one and only baby boy.
God in heaven, the highest heaven, good news, all the glory.
And a place for you - if you want it - in the story. Good news.

Good news (shepherds)

Lyrics:

VERSE:
I saw your text. It’s not you it’s me -
wondering if we’ll ever see
Where this thing could really go. 
We’ve got something, but I wanna know - 

VERSE:
Won’t you come by, won’t you come and see
 - this place where I”m completely me?
Won’t you come by, won’t you come and see? 
Won’t you take this leap with me?

CHORUS:
‘cause if you won’t even try, 
I      love    you,   but…
won’t you come by?
won’t you come by?
Won’t you come by? 
You and I - 
how we could fly!
I      love    you,   but…
won’t you come by?

VERSE:
It’s not your thing, I get it I know. 
You might say, “I told you so.”
But maybe not. It just might be 
All we’re missing - you and me.

CHORUS
‘cause if you won’t even try, 
I      love    you,   but…
won’t you come by?
won’t you come by?
Won’t you come by? 
You and I - 
how we could fly!
I      love    you,   but…
I      love    you,   but…
I      love    you,   but…
won’t you come by?

CHORDS:

Won’t you come by?

Intro: D

Verse:
D                                              A    
I saw your text. It’s not you it’s me -
Bm                                     F#m    
 wondering if we’ll ever see
G2                                              A2    
Where this thing could really go. 
G2                                             A2  
We’ve got something, but I wanna know - 

Verse:
D                                              A    
Won’t you come by, won’t you come and see
Bm                                             F#m   
 - this place where I”m completely me?
G2                                                             A2
Won’t you come by, won’t you come and see? 
G2                                             A2
Won’t you take this leap with me?


Chorus:
D             A/C#                     Bm F#m
‘cause if you won’t even try, 
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
                           D   
won’t you come by?
                           F#m   
won’t you come by?
                            G2
Won’t you come by? 
                            F#m
You and I - 
                            G2   A2
how we could fly!
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
                             D                          
won’t you come by?

Verse:
D                                              A
It’s not your thing, I get it I know. 
Bm                                   F#m
You might say, “I told you so.”
G2                                              A2
But maybe not. It just might be 
G2                                              A2
All we’re missing - you and me.

Chorus:
D             A/C#                     Bm F#m
‘cause if you won’t even try, 
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
                           D   
won’t you come by?
                           F#m   
won’t you come by?
                            G2
Won’t you come by? 
                            F#m
You and I - 
                            G2   A2
how we could fly!
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
                           D                          
won’t you come by?

Won't you come by?

The lead in to "Endure the night" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/endure-the-night) - the angel's warning to flee the wrath of a vengeful king. "Joy will come one morning light," he sings, "but weeping will endure the night."

From "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

Narrator: 

After the shepherds and wise men were gone, when the first family were alone again, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. King Herod had learned the Magi were not returning as they had promised and he was incensed. He gave orders to kill every baby boy up to two years old in Bethlehem and its vicinity. 

“Get up,” said the angel to Joseph, “take the child and and go. Escape to Egypt. And stay there until I tell you. For Herod is already searching for the child to kill him.”

So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and they left for Egypt, where they stayed for years and years, until the Angel returned with news that Herod had died. The cloud of his vengeance had passed and the weeping of parents who would not be comforted - had long since subsided.

And that is why the baby king, who is called the Son of God, would spend his first years as a refugee and an immigrant.

Endure the night (dialogue track)

"Get up, take the child and go. It's not safe, and you don't want to know..."

The angel's warning that a vengeful king has it in for them, which is why the first family spent their first years together on the run, far from home, as refugees and immigrants.

From "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

LYRICS & Chords:

Key: Fm

INTRO:	Fm     F4/Eb     Fm/Db     F2/Eb     Fm (x2)

VERSE 
Fm		     Fm/Ab         F4/Bb		F2/C		       Fm
Get up, take the child and go. It’s not safe. And you don’t wanna know
Fm		     Fm/Ab         F4/Bb		F2/C		       Fm
What’s in store for you. Just go. There’s no way out but through.
Fm		  F4/Eb	     Fm/Db                     F2/C
This king, you can’t appease, once he counts you enemies.
Fm		  F4/Eb	     Fm/Db                     F2/C
Hear me when I say to you, just go - it’s what you have to do.

CHORUS
       Fm     		     F4/Eb                    Fm/Db                        F2/Eb          (x2)
And on the winds, such cries you’ll hear, as good news drowns in all the fear. 
       Fm     		     F4/Eb                    Fm/Db                        F2/Eb          (x2)
Joy will come one morning light, but weeping will endure the night.
       Fm     		     F4/Eb                    Fm/Db                        F2/Eb          (x2)
Everything will come round right, but weeping will endure the night.

VERSE
Fm		     Fm/Ab         F4/Bb		F2/C		       Fm
You can’t go home, you can’t stay here. Just go - while the coast is clear. 
Fm		     Fm/Ab         F4/Bb		F2/C		       Fm
There’s no other way to live and see another day.
Fm		  F4/Eb	     Fm/Db                     F2/C
This king, he won’t let go. When it’s safe, I’ll let you know.
Fm		  F4/Eb	     Fm/Db                     F2/C
Until then, fly as far as you can. And don’t lose faith, there’s still a plan.

CHORUS
       Fm     		     F4/Eb                    Fm/Db                        F2/Eb          (x2)
And on the winds, such cries you’ll hear, as good news drowns in all the fear. 
       Fm     		     F4/Eb                    Fm/Db                        F2/Eb          (x2)
Joy will come one morning light, but weeping will endure the night.
       Fm     		     F4/Eb                    Fm/Db                        F2/Eb          (x2)
Everything will come round right, but weeping will endure the night.

INSTRUMENTAL: Fm     F4/Eb     Fm/Db     F2/Eb     Fm

CODA
Fm     		    F4/Eb     	    Fm/Db                F2/Eb                     Fm
Get up, take the child and go. It’s not safe, and you don’t want to know
Fm     		    F4/Eb     	    Fm/Db                F2/Eb                     Fm
What’s in store for you. Just go. There’s no way out but through.

Endure the night (Gabriel)

v2 work tape with new lyrics. V1 was a slightly bitter cusp-of-a breakup song. It said, the door is still open, but not very and not for long. A lot more hope in this version. Not a guarantee either, but there's a longing and a lot of possibility...

LYRICS:

VERSE:
I saw your text. It’s not you it’s me -
wondering if we’ll ever see
Where this thing could really go. 
We’ve got something, but I wanna know - 

VERSE:
Won’t you come by, won’t you come and see
 - this place where I”m completely me?
Won’t you come by, won’t you come and see? 
Won’t you take this leap with me?

CHORUS:
‘cause if you won’t even try, 
I      love    you,   but…
won’t you come by?
won’t you come by?
Won’t you come by? 
You and I - 
how we could fly!
I      love    you,   but…
won’t you come by?

VERSE:
It’s not your thing, I get it I know. 
You might say, “I told so.”
But maybe not. It just might be 
All we’re missing - you and me.

CHORUS
‘cause if you won’t even try, 
I      love    you,   but…
won’t you come by?
won’t you come by?
Won’t you come by? 
You and I - 
how we could fly!
I      love    you,   but…
I      love    you,   but…
I      love    you,   but…
won’t you come by?

CHORDS:

Intro: D

Verse:
D                                              A    
I saw your text. It’s not you it’s me -
Bm                                     F#m    
 wondering if we’ll ever see
G2                                              A2    
Where this thing could really go. 
G2                                             A2  
We’ve got something, but I wanna know - 

Verse:
D                                              A    
Won’t you come by, won’t you come and see
Bm                                             F#m   
 - this place where I”m completely me?
G2                                                             A2
Won’t you come by, won’t you come and see? 
G2                                             A2
Won’t you take this leap with me?

Chorus:
D             A/C#                     Bm F#m
‘cause if you won’t even try, 
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
                           D   
won’t you come by?
                           F#m   
won’t you come by?
                            G2
Won’t you come by? 
                            F#m
You and I - 
                            G2   A2
how we could fly!
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
                             D                          
won’t you come by?

Verse:
D                                              A
It’s not your thing, I get it I know. 
Bm                                   F#m
You might say, “I told so.”
G2                                              A2
But maybe not. It just might be 
G2                                              A2
All we’re missing - you and me.

Chorus:
D             A/C#                     Bm F#m
‘cause if you won’t even try, 
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
                           D   
won’t you come by?
                           F#m   
won’t you come by?
                            G2
Won’t you come by? 
                            F#m
You and I - 
                            G2   A2
how we could fly!
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
G2  D/F#   Em7   D   G2/B   A2/C# 
I      love    you,   but…
                           D                          
won’t you come by?


Won't you come by? (v2WT)

The first version that was decidedly more bitter, more final, more decided about where this relationship was headed. 

This track is how it started. Here's how it's going: https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/wont-you-come-by

It used to be a cusp-of-a-breakup song. The door is still open, but not much or for long. "I love you, but...won't you come by?" to say, we're done and this is why.

With some variety injected into the chorus - "You and I, how we could fly!" it took a turn for the more generous, more hopeful, more full of possibility and invitation. 

And that felt right.

All thanks to the honest feedback from my SongTown Edge Group and my better half (and listening to it).

Won't you come by? (v1)

The lead in to "My whole world" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/my-whole-world) - Mary's song to her newborn baby boy, from "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

LUKE (a.k.a., the narrator):

When the shepherds and wise men set off on their way, one night, still in the haze of those early days, Joseph was asleep, uninterrupted by heavenly messengers. 

And so was the baby Jesus, perfectly at peace in his mother’s arms.

Gazing there at her miracle child, Mary was full of the wonder known to new mothers since the dawn of time. 

And, though she knew the only thing she was supposed to do was be present, and to treasure each and every moment, she couldn’t keep her mind from racing into possible futures - all her hopes and dreams for this boy, and her own life transformed as his mother. 

Futures that were only possible. Nothing promised. And yet, her heart filled, nearly to bursting, with longing - 

for it all.

My whole world (dialogue track)

The lead in to "Just a father" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/just-a-father) - Joseph's final song, as the first family finally returns - together this time after a frantic search - from the Passover festival in Jerusalem. From "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

LUKE:

Years later, when King Herod died, the angel appeared again to Joseph in a dream and told him, “Get up, take the child and go. It is safe to return, for those who were after the boy are no more.” 

So they did. And their lives settled in to familiar rhythms, including a trip every year to Jerusalem, for Passover. 

From Nazareth, that’s 85, 90 miles, four days to a week walking. 

The year that Jesus was 12 - on the cusp of Jewish manhood, but still very much their boy - when Passover was over, Mary and Joseph started on the journey home, not realizing Jesus was not with them - not until traveling on for a day.

They hurried back and looked everywhere. They found him, at last, after three days. He was in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions.

Everyone who heard him was amazed. 

But his parents were in their feelings. 

“Son,” Mary said, “Didn’t you know we would be worried sick? We have been searching for you for days.”

“Why?” the boy asked, “Didn’t you know I would be in my Father’s house?”

Obviously, they didn’t know, or understand it all. 

But Mary’s distress soon subsided, More than anything, she was relieved to be reunited. Joseph, on the other hand, couldn’t shake it off so easily. 

As they retread those many miles, he was stuck on repeat - with worry and blame, and with the same doubts that had consumed him from the beginning.

Just a father (dialogue track)

"Some have the gift of faith, some the gift of doubt.”

LYRICS

CHORUS:
Just as you are and who you are and all you are - Be true. 	          You be you.

VERSE:
Be yourself, everybody else is taken. Even if it feels like fakin’ - you’ll get through.
Run your own race, don’t look over your shoulder. Someone always looks faster and bolder  -
 It’s not true. You be you.

CHORUS:
Just as you are and who you are and all you are - Be true. 	          You be you.

BRIDGE:
You were made in the image of God.
Don’t mean you won’t feel like a fraud.
That’s just part of the deal.
We all know how you feel!

VERSE:

Blessed are those who believe who haven’t seen. 
The rest of us asking what it means. 
Some have the gift of faith, some the gift of doubt. 
And if that’s you…                 let it out.
 		
Chorus:
Just as you are and who you are and all you are - Be true. 	          You be you.

Just as you are

Narrative lead-in to "Don't let up" - the old prophet, Anna's song of blessing over the new family and their baby boy. From "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

Narrator:

At the temple, the young family also met a prophet, named Anna - about whom the details are both sparse and specific. She was old. 84 years old. She’d been married once. It lasted seven years. Then, after her husband died, in her widow-hood, she became a regular fixture at the temple, worshipping night and day, fasting and praying. After the old priest Simeon had his say, Anna went up to Mary, Joseph, and the baby, Jesus, and gave thanks to God. And from that day forward, she spoke about the child to everyone - including me.

Don't let up (dialogue track)

The song of the old prophet, Anna, as she blesses the newborn baby Jesus at the temple for his consecration. I may be old, she says, and some folks discount me, "but don't assume I'm out of aces until all the hands are played..."
From "Don't blink" (https://soundcloud.com/stefanlanfer/sets/dontblink), the modern folk singer-songwriter musical retelling of the first Christmas story from the perspective of the minor characters and minor moments that are full of fresh insights into a tale many of us thought we knew inside and out.

LYRICS

VERSE
Most people miss what they’re not looking for
And avoid the things they see that they would much rather ignore
Like the fact that they’ll get old like me - their superpowers fade.
But don’t think I’m out of aces until all the hands are played.
CHORUS
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all of my born days
It’s to keep your eyes wide open and don’t let up on praise.
Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up.
Don't ever let up on your praise.
VERSE
Ask any of the locals what they know of me.
It pretty much boils down to thing 1, thing 2, thing 3.
Thing 1 is I was married once. Thing 2 is that I’m old.
Thing 3 - I’m praising day and night. That’s how my story’s told.
CHORUS
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all of my born days
It’s to keep your eyes wide open and don’t let up on praise.
Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up.
Don't ever let up on your praise.
BRIDGE
Unless you’re always looking, don’t expect to see.
Miracles do happen, but they happen suddenly.
And they happen in the most unexpected ways.
That’s all you need to know ‘bout this old lady and her praise.
CHORUS
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all of my born days
It’s to keep your eyes wide open and don’t let up on praise.
Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up.

DON'T LET UP CHORDS (Key: C#)
INTRO: 	C#	Fm	F#2	G#2
VERSE
C#		Fm	      F#2		G#2
Most people miss what they’re not looking for
C#			     Fm	   			   F#2		G#2
And avoid the things they see that they would much rather ignore
	   F#2		         G#2/F		     G#4/A#	 F#2
Like the fact that they’ll get old like me - their superpowers fade.
	    F#2/D#                 G#/F	   G#4/F#	       G#2/G#
But don’t think I’m out of aces until all the hands are played.
CHORUS
C#		Fm	      F#2		G#2
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all of my born days
C#		Fm	      F#2		G#2
Is to keep your eyes wide open and don’t let up on praise.
           Fm/C#	       F#/D#               Fm7              G#4/F#5
Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up.
	      C#	      F#//G#           F#2 → C#
Don't ever let up on your praise.
VERSE
C#		Fm	      F#2		G#2
Ask any of the locals what they know of me.
C#		Fm	      F#2		G#2
It pretty much boils down to thing 1, thing 2, thing 3.
       F#2	    G#2/F	       G#/A#	        F#2
Thing 1 is I was married once. Thing 2 is that I’m old.
	    F#2/D#                 G#2/F	   G#4/F#	       G#2/G#
Thing 3 - I’m praising day and night. That’s how my story’s told.
CHORUS
C#		Fm	      F#2		G#2
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all of my born days
C#		Fm	      F#2		G#2
It’s to keep your eyes wide open and don’t let up on praise.
           Fm/C#	       F#/D#             Fm7               G#4/F#5
Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up. Don’t let up.
	      C#	      F#//G#           F#2 → C#
Don't ever let up on your praise.
BRIDGE
Fm/C#		Fm		  F#2		   G#2
Unless you’re always looking, don’t expect to see.
C#		Fm	      F#2		G#2
Miracles do happen, but they happen suddenly.
	        C#/A#       Fm/G#            D#m/F#     C#/F
And they happen in the most unexpected ways.
                  C#4/D#       C#/F            	       C#4/F#            G#
That’s all you need to know ‘bout this old lady and her praise.

CHORUS (last time to instrumental finale)

Don't Let Up (Anna; feat. Sam Schreiber)

Mary's song to her newborn baby boy, heart bursting with longing for a future that is only possible, not promised - "My whole world, my all...and I want it all."

From "Something for you" - Stefan Lanfer's modern folk singer-songwriter Christmas musical project featuring the minor characters, and minor moments like this one that are more often overlooked, and yet are full of new insights into a story many of us thought we knew inside and out.

LYRICS and CHORDS

My Whole World
Words and music by Stefan Lanfer © 2025					(Key: Cm)

INTRO:  C Bb (RH: Bb-D-Eb-Bb x4 each) Ab (RH: Bb-F-Ab-Eb x4) Eb (RH: Eb-G-Ab-Eb)

VERSE

C Bb (RH: Bb-D-Eb-Bb x4 each) Ab (RH: Bb-F-Ab-Eb x4) Eb (RH: Eb-G-Ab-Eb)
Look at you, baby boy. Look at you.
Here…in my arms. Are you real?
My boy, my baby boy, what I feel -
All…  of the gifts life could steal…

CHORUS

C Bb (RH: Bb-D-Eb-Bb x4 each) Ab (RH: Bb-F-Ab-Eb x4) Eb (RH: Eb-G-Ab-Eb)
And I want it all. I want it all. My whole world...my all.  I want it all. 

VERSE

              Eb2/C 	Bb 		      Eb/Ab 	Bb… (RH pulse)
Are you dreaming, baby boy? Or is your mind clear?
Are you back inside the womb, not a worry or a care?
I’m dreaming, baby boy - ‘bout the road ahead of you?
All the places that you’ll go. And all the things you’ll do.

CHORUS

C Bb (RH: Bb-D-Eb-Bb x4 each) Ab (RH: Bb-F-Ab-Eb x4) Eb (RH: Eb-G-Ab-Eb)
And I want it all. I want it all. My whole world...my all.   I want it all. 

BRIDGE

Eb2			Bb/D		Eb/C		Cm7/Ab    	(Right - Left - Right)
I know nothing’s promised - every moment is a gift.
Eb2			Bb/D		Eb/C		Cm7/Ab    	
That I should just be present. All your days will run so swift.
Eb2			Bb/D		Eb/C		Cm7/Ab    	
I know that’s right. I tell myself, not to want the things I do.	
Eb2			Bb/G		Eb/C		Cm7/Db    	
Don’t blink or you might miss it - is good advice and true.

CHORUS

C Bb (RH: Bb-D-Eb-Bb x4 each) Ab (RH: Bb-F-Ab-Eb x4) Eb (RH: Eb-G-Ab-Eb)
But I want it all. I want it all. My whole world…my all. I want it all. 
     (a capella) 
I want it all. I want it all. My whole world…my all. I want it all. I want it all.

Curious about the backstory? It's here at the StefStack: https://stefanlanfer.substack.com/p/the-story-of-marys-song

My whole world (Mary; feat. Jasmine Reid)

Lyrics:
If I can speak in the tongues of men
Or like an angel sing
If there's no love in what I say,
It doesn't mean a thing.
It's only noise, a lot of noise, it's only noise, it's not the way.

If I know what the future holds
How every mystery unfolds
And how to move the mountains in my way.
If there's no love in all I know, it doesn't matter where I go.
I'm just a fool, I'm such a fool,  I am a fool, who's lost their way.

If I give all I have away
Even lay down my own life today
And people of importance say a word.
If there's no love in all I give, it doesn't matter how long I live,
There's nothing I gain.
It's just a show, good people know, it's all a show, a stupid game.

Love is patient
Love is kind
Love won't leave anyone behind
Love is always glad to know that you are well.
Love walks humbly and with grace.
Love never gets up in your face.
Keeps no record of the things that you got wrong.
Love always trusts, 
always hopes,
always protects,
Love perseveres.
When all the hope seems lost, then love appears.

Love is patient
Love is kind
Love won't leave anyone behind
Love is always glad to know that you are well.
Love walks humbly and with grace.
Love never gets up in your face.
Keeps no record of the things that you get wrong.
Love always trusts, 
always hopes,
always protects,
Love never fails.
Darkness may endure a night, but love prevails.

Words and music by Stefan Lanfer (c) 2021

Lyrics adapted from 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Love Is

Stefan Lanfer writes indie folk singer-songwriter songs with the soul of a storyteller and the heart of a seeker. With a vibe somewhere between Ben Folds and Cat Stevens, his music blends lyrical introspection, spiritual resonance, and quiet power. This song library is for fans who want to feel something and collaborators looking for material ripe with possibilities and ready for their magic. 

SoundCloud is Stefan's songwriting sandbox, with work tapes and rehearsal tapes, multiple versions, works in progress, different drafts tracing the evolutions, and ideas from listeners always welcome to help these songs figure out and become what they want to be before they launch into the wider streaming world. 

Thanks for stopping by. Come back anytime. Bring a friend. 

Backstories collected on The StefStack: https://stefanlanfer.substack.com/ - "a SubStack stuff sack of Stefan stuff"

Stefan Lanfer

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