CowPi Journal

Stumbling to Bethlehem

4 July 2004, 5 pm | Song

Ever have one those songs that you hear just a portion of it and it sticks in your head? This song called “Stumbling to Bethlehem” by Patti Scialfa was played at the end of the season finale of Joan of Arcadia back in May. I searched the Internet and could not find the lyrics anywhere because the CD (23rd Street Lullaby) was suppose to come out in the middle of June. The song kind of faded in memory.

Then, the other night I ran across this ad for this month’s free concert on Direct TV channel 103. It was Patti Scialfa. The name sounded familiar but I could not place it. So I turned it on and began to watch. She wasn’t too bad. I listened some more. The third song was “Stumbling to Bethlehem”. Jackpot!

The song has this slow rolling, tumbling cadence that gives you this feeling that you are slowing walking down the road to the town of Bethlehem with a sense of heartache from shatter dreams, but also, more importantly, with a sense of hope. Scialfa’s voice is soulful with a touch of blues. It hints of those times when you have tripped, maybe even fallen. Maybe the world has knocked you down; maybe you tripped over yourself. Either way, your down. You’re tired of the darkness. You’re tired of trying it all by yourself. So this time you pick yourself up and head for the new light in Bethlehem, to the only real light in the world, back to the beginning.

Listen to a clip of this song.

Stumbling to Bethlehem
by Patti Scialfa

I was doing time in Salvation Park
up on the high rope, me your ace of hearts
just when I thought I was so special
I thought I had it all
You take one wrong step
before you fall and you’re

Stumbling to Bethlehem
in this absence of light
I’m stumbling to Bethlehem
don’t worry darling
yeah don’t think twice

now there’s this man on the corner
in a long black sweater saying
“sinners they will burn forever”
Well I must be guilty of something
some price I forgot to pay
I must have done somebody wrong
somewhere along the way, that keeps me

Stumbling to Bethlehem
in this absence of light
I’m stumbling to Bethlehem
don’t worry darling
yeah don’t think twice

now you can count up all your blessings
you can count up every curse
but never really know which is better
or which is worse
so you try to do right
but it gets so rough
there’s always someone to remind you
that you’re just not good enough and you’re

Stumbling to Bethlehem
in this absence of light
I’m stumbling to Bethlehem
don’t worry darling
yeah don’t feel twice
don’t worry darling
yeah it’s alright