Matthew West Finds Inspiration for Christmas Songs in the Summertime
- Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
- Updated Dec 21, 2023
Matthew West is one of the most prolific Christmas musicians in all of CCM, having penned and sung multiple snow-themed holiday tunes that landed on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart.
And, he says, he wrote many of them during the summer heat. That’s because writing, recording, and promoting a song can take weeks, if not months.
“I might be wearing shorts and flip flops [while writing],” West told Christian Headlines, laughing at the thought.
“A lot of the Christmas songs that you listen to were written quite possibly in the middle of a heatwave,” he said. “As a composer and a musician, you really have to find ways to get into the Christmas spirit, even in the summertime.”
Even so, he added, “it’s easy to get inspired” to write something new.
On Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. Eastern, West’s holiday special, Come Home for Christmas, airs on TBN, showcasing classic tunes and some of his top original songs. It was recorded at Belmont University’s Fisher Center and includes scenes from his annual Christmas-themed event, also called Come Home for Christmas, held in Franklin, Tenn.
West’s Christmas music often lands on Billboard’s chart. His latest song, Because Of Bethlehem, is currently No. 30. Come Home For Christmas (2022) climbed to No. 12, while The Hope Of Christmas (2020) reached No. 9. At least 10 of West’s 40 songs have charted during his career have been holiday tunes. His 2009 song Give This Christmas Away soared to No. 1.
The TBN special also will include classic Christmas carols such as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Winter Wonderland. It concludes with a prayer by Matthew's father, Pastor Joe West.
“I called my friends at TBN and asked if they would want to film it. And so they wound up creating an entire television special … that really encapsulates not just the concert itself but the whole weekend of events,” West told Christian Headlines. “... If you're tired of watching the same Christmas movie for the 1,000th time, you can take a break and watch my Christmas special.”
Writing Christmas songs during summer, he noted, is common. For example, Mel Torme’s famous 1945 song The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) was famously written during a blistering heat when he was trying to “psychologically” cool down, Torme recalled in 2017.
West’s latest song, Because of Bethlehem, was inspired by the Max Lucado book of the same name, West said.
“It's just a beautiful book, reminding us all of the hope that we have in Christ,” he said. “And the entire message of the gospel traces back to this one scene in a little town called Bethlehem. It really struck me.”
Photo Courtesy: Dove Awards/Terry Wyatt
Video Courtesy: Matthew West via YouTube
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
