it is well with my soul

December 9 Christmas Song of the Day:

Ring Them Bells, a Bob Dylan cover from the soundtrack to the film I'm Not There.

This might not technically be a Christmas song, but I consider it one. It speaks of God, shepherds, saints, and bells, all of which could be considered Christmassy subjects. You can listen to the song (and watch an unofficial music video) here. My favorite verse is about Saint Catherine of Sienna, who was the patron saint of Italy and a beautiful poet. Dylan's lyrics refer to her monastery in Mt. Sinai, which is a "fortress" working towards "breaking down the distance between right and wrong." What a beautiful and optimistic hope for the world!

This song is on the soundtrack to the film I'm Not There, which is about the many different lives of Bob Dylan. And wow, I really missed the boat on this one... You can watch the trailer here or here. It has an amazing cast including Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, and Heath Ledger, so I'm not too sure how I didn't hear about it. Nonetheless, it's on the top of my list of movies to watch while I'm home for Christmas, so I'll let you know how it is.