Guide Note

The Christmas Shoes is a song by the contemporary Christian band NewSong. The song later became an inspiration for a novel, film, and play. The song deals with a young boy trying to get a pair of Christmas shoes for his dying mother.

Fast Facts

1. Genre: Christmas
2. Album: Christmas Shoes
3. Label: Reunion Records
4. Writers: Eddie Carswell, Leonard Ahlstrom
5. Producers: Bill Baumgart, George King
6. Recorded: 2000
7. Released: 2000
8. Debuted: 2000
9. First released as a bonus track on the album Sheltering Tree
10. Inspired by a Christmas story found on the internet
11. Inspired a novella by author Donna VanLiere
12. In Tom Reynolds' book I Hate Myself and Want to Die (2006), he names "The Christmas Shoes" as the most depressing song in modern recorded music history.

A little boy is trying to buy a pair of shoes for his dying mother for Christmas.

1. Genre: Contemporary Christian Music
2. Origin: Valdosta, Georgia
3. Years Active: 1981-Present
4. Members: Eddie Carswell, Billy Goodwin, Matt Butler, Nate Sallie
5. 20 number 1 singles and 8 GMA Dove Award nominations
6. Founders of the The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular

"…It's Christmas Eve, and these shoes are just her size … And I want her to look beautiful--if Mama meets Jesus tonight…." — CBS

"Few could have foreseen the widespread and poignant impact of these words, part of the lyrics of 2000's holiday hit, "The Christmas Shoes." The country's No. 1 song (topping Billboard 's January 6, 2001 Adult Contemporary Singles chart) recorded by Reunion Records artist NewSong brought tears to millions of listeners tuning into their local Christian and mainstream AC, pop and country radio stations." — CBS