“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)

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)

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"

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