Much Worse Things…

I caught most of the “A Colbert Christmas” special last night on comedy central. The last part of the episode, a duet between Stephen Colbert and Elvis Costello was the best part of the whole show. An awesome little song, with a very memorable, very applicable holiday song. Here are the lyrics:

Elvis
There are cynics
there are skeptics
There are legions of dispassionate dyspeptics
Who regard this time of year as a maudlin insincere
Cheezy crass commercial travesty of all that we hold dear
Stephen
When they think that
Well, I can hear it
But I pity them their lack of Christmas spirit
For in a world like ours, take it from Stephen
There are much worse things to believe in.

Elvis
A redeemer
and a savior
an obese man giving toys for good behavior
Stephen
The faith in what might be and the hope that we might see
The answer to all sorrow in a box beneath the tree
Find them foolish
Elvis
Sentimental
Stephen
Well you’re clearly none too bright
Both
so we’ll be gentle
Stephen
Don’t even try to start vaguely conceiving
Both
Of all much worse things to believe in

Stephen
Believe in the judgment
believe in Jihad
Believe in a thousand variations on a dark and spiteful god
Elvis
You’ve got your money
you’ve got your power
You’ve got your science, and all the planets going to end within the hour
Stephen
You’ve got your dreams that don’t come true
Elvis
You’ve got the ones that do
Stephen
Then you’ve got your nothing
Both
Some folks believe in nothing
But if you believe in nothing
Then what’s to keep the nothing from coming for you

Stephen
Merry Christmas
Happy New Year
Now if you’ll forgive me there’s a lot to do here
There are stockings still unhung
Colored lights I haven’t strung
Elvis
And a one-man four-part Christmas carol waiting to be sung
Stephen
Call me silly
call me sappy
Call me many things, the first of which is happy
You doubt, but your sad
I don’t, but I’m glad
Both
I guess we’re even
Stephen
At least that’s what I believe in
Both
And there are much worse things

Here’s the video of it from colbertnation:

Hopefully the songs all go up on Amazon or iTunes or something, as i’d download this one for sure to put it on my iphone!