I wrote a Hanukkah song a few years ago while the Side Dish was cooking it up in the DC music scene, but we never recorded it. There aren’t many good Hanukkah songs out there, or at least I’ve never heard them so they can’t be that popular. Nothing like Mariah Carey or Whammageddon.
There’s the school holiday pageant go-to “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel” and Adam Sandler’s “Chanukah Song” from Saturday Night Live, and that’s about it. When I hear Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah song on the radio, it’s a live cut from the show. I don’t know if a proper recording even exists.
So it occurred to me that I could take a shot a trying to come up with something that was accessible to everyone and not just a joke or kid’s song.
I wrote “Light Another Candle” to be a little country and folky with a banjo thrown in along with the acoustic guitars, bass, and drum tracks. I wanted a refrain that worked in the round at the end so people could sing it in groups and simple chords so anyone could play it.
Now, I’m not Jewish and I personally don’t think that really matters when you approach something with respect and thoughtfulness. Maybe it does to some people, but that’s not really the kind of spirit we’re trying to get to. It’s certainly not cultural appropriation. Irving Berlin, who was Jewish, wrote White Christmas, not just a holiday classic… it’s the best selling song of all time.
I don’t really have those kinds of aspirations or expectations. However, I do look at what’s happening in the Holy Land right now and the lyric I wrote years ago, “Say a little prayer for peace and hope it comes before it’s too late” became much more meaningful.
I took a break from the solo album I’ve been working on for the past couple of months, laid something down and just let it out there. You can hear it on all the major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
Give it a listen and hope you enjoy it. Light another candle and hope for peace.
Happy holidays to everyone everywhere.
Light Another Candle by David Andrew Johnson Lyrics and Chords
C
Light another candle
F
Another night to celebrate
C
Say a little prayer for peace
F
A world of love, an end to hate
Light another candle
Another night to celebrate
Say a little prayer for peace
A world of love, an end to hate
G
Miracle of light,
F
burning through the night
G. Am
There’s not enough to last, but together we hold fast
F G
From the darkness shining bright
Light another candle
Another night to celebrate
Say a little prayer for peace
A world of love, an end to hate
solo
G
Gather round as family
F
Sing a song and sing it out
G. Am
The brightest light is in our hearts, catch a fire from a spark
F. G
The lamps are lit they won’t burn out
Light another candle
Another night to celebrate
Say a little prayer for peace
A world of love, an end to hate
Light another candle
Another night to celebrate
Say a little prayer for peace
A world of love, an end to hate
Shine on and on and on, burn bright
Shine on and on and on, burn bright