Neil Diamond's Track 'Christmas Prayer' Speaks To Grief During Festive Months

Oct 31, 2020

In 2016, legendary rock musician and Hall of Fame inductee Neil Diamond decided to release a Christmas-themed album. Ever since, it has become a standard for those in the holiday spirit. One of the most popular songs on Neil Diamond's Acoustic Christmas was written for his manager and loving wife Katie Diamond. The sweet but sad tune is called Christmas Prayers. Back in 2016, around a month before Christmas, Diamond uploaded a heartwarming live music video of the song for all his fans to see.

Unfortunately, Katie's grandmother had passed away. Neil Diamond's wife was likely grieving, feeling the difficult loss, reflecting on past Christmas celebrations, and attempting to grasp the fact that special times like those wouldn't come again.

This feeling is something that everyone who has experienced loss feels around the holidays. People look back on their favorite memories and think about those who are no longer there to share in the special moments. Everyone understands that Christmas isn't exclusively jolly and happy.

In an interview with Billboard, Neil Diamond said that his wife was feeling the weight of her grandmother's passing a few Christmases ago and the two decided to try and write a song to cheer her up.

The iconic singer and songwriter ended up writing a song that was worth recording. Once he was in the studio, the music didn't stop flowing. The group of musicians ended up with an entire Christmas album.

Neil Diamond explained to Billboard how the song really caught the imagination of the group. The record ended up becoming quite special. Everyone enjoyed playing it. The energy was so great that the group decided to continue down the road of creativity and ended up with enough songs for a full album.

The resulting Christmas album was acoustic due to the type of equipment that was available in the studio at the time.

Fans might be surprised to realize that the album was somewhat of an accident that developed out of a song that Neil Diamond wrote to cheer up his wife. The entire album received a ton of praise from critics and loyal followers alike.

So many people get tired of the constant cheeriness of pop Christmas songs that it's a breath of fresh air to hear something as honest and vulnerable as Neil Diamond's song. There is a tendency for many artists to force their facade of constant happiness and positivity. It's nice to see someone being raw, genuine, and honest.

If you found this article interesting, show it to a family member or friend who loves Neil Diamond. And let us know what your favorite Christmas song is!