Written for the Christmas album Rumours of Angels in 1994, Thorns in the Straw is a performance song that tracks the journey of Mary, the mother of Jesus, beyond Bethlehem, dealing with the contrasts of the glory and the shame, the bitterness and the sweetness of watching the life of her son - the Messiah.
https://grahamkendrick.co.uk/thorns-in-the-straw-since-the-day-the-angel-came/
Lyric Video: http://bit.ly/35IdHK9
Backing Track Lyric Video: http://bit.ly/2Ov00Zd
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2OQNr9I
Graham tells the stories of each of the 12 songs in a series of short videos here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu8mfQRMKrc6JG5r0hbp-ucO1CVd7kBRB
Lyric Videos and Backing Track Videos are here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu8mfQRMKrc4axpNAg2bZzy6JlGiZowrg
More resources for Christmas are here: https://grahamkendrick.co.uk/christmas-resources/
Since the day the angel came
It seemed that everything had changed
The only certain thing
Was the child that moved within
On the road that would not end
Winding down to Bethlehem
So far away from home
Just a blanket on the floor
Of a vacant cattle-stall
But there the child was born
She held him in her arms
And as she laid him down to sleep
She wondered - will it always be
So bitter and so sweet
And did she see there
In the straw by his head a thorn
And did she smell myrrh
In the air on that starry night
And did she hear angels sing
Not so far away
Till at last the sun rose blood-red
In the morning sky
Then the words of ancient seers
Tumbled down the centuries ...
A virgin shall conceive...
God with us... Prince of Peace
Man of Sorrows - strangest name
Oh Joseph there it comes again
So bitter yet so sweet
And as she watched him through the years
Her joy was mingled with her tears
And she'd feel it all again
The glory, and the shame
And when the miracles began
She wondered, who is this man
And where will this all end
'Til against a darkening sky
The son she loved was lifted high
And with his dying breath
She heard him say 'Father forgive'
And to the criminal beside
"Today-with me in Paradise"
So bitter yet so sweet