“Count to Ten (In the Manger)”
Verse 1
Kelly showed up glowing like a streetlight in the fog,
Friends piled in behind her, smelling faintly like a dog,
We said “count to ten” but nobody behaved,
There’s tinsel on the punch bowl and the truth’s half-shaved.
She’s laughing in the corner with the sinners and the saints,
Got a halo made of static and opinions she can’t paint,
Snow falling sideways, everybody knows,
This friendship’s kind of slimy—but it sticks when it goes.
Pre-Chorus
We’re see-through in the moonlight,
Translucent at best,
Trying to be holy
In a barroom Nativity mess.
Chorus
Oh Kelly in the manger with the Count to Ten crew,
Mary’s looking worried, Joseph’s counting too,
It’s Christmas, it’s sacred, it’s a slippery scene,
We’re praying and laughing at the same damn thing.
Count it out loud, don’t lie, don’t pretend—
One for the truth, nine for the friends.
Verse 2
There’s frankincense and feedback in the air tonight,
Gold-wrapped opinions under broken string lights,
A baby’s crying softly—or maybe it’s us,
Trying not to swear while we swear we can trust.
Kelly’s got that calm like she’s seen this before,
Friendship born messy on a cold barn floor,
No one’s spotless, no one’s clean,
But love shows up shiny, wet, and unseen.
Pre-Chorus
We’re slick with grace and sarcasm,
Slipping but we stand,
Faith held together
By duct tape and hands.
Chorus
Oh Kelly in the manger with the Count to Ten crew,
Angels face-palming, but they’re laughing too,
It’s Christmas, it’s holy, it’s barely PG-13,
We’re glowing like ghosts in a Bethlehem scene.
Count it slow now, breathe it in—
Grace at zero, chaos at ten.
Bridge (spoken or half-sung)
Mary said, “Boys, watch your mouths,”
Someone whispered, “This feels right somehow,”
The donkey nodded, the ox just stared,
Even heaven knows we’re unprepared.
Final Chorus
Oh Kelly in the manger, friends tight as can be,
See-through hearts trying hard to believe,
It’s slimy, translucent, it’s Christmas again,
Where love doesn’t start clean—it starts with friends.
Count it to ten, then back to one,
Same old mess… new light begun.
Outro
Silent night?
Not a chance.
But we showed up.
And that’s the plan.
MechanicSam
