Sensitive ballads are not the kind of songs you’d expect from hard nosed rocker Steve Earle – but here we have one. Nothing But A Child can be found on Earle’s 1988 multi-award winning album Copperhead Road. 

It’s always amazed me that this song has never established itself as a Christmas ‘fixture’ on mainstream radio stations. It’s one of the most beautiful Christmas songs written in modern times. Whatever one thinks of Steve Earle, this is a deeply spiritual song that is deserving of recognition the world over. It has been a favourite of mine ever since I discovered it years ago. Country’s ‘Bad Boy’ has a lot more going on inside him than most people realize.

Earle originally wrote Nothing But A Child for the Oak Ridge Boys, which explains why it may sound a little out of place on the album. He knew the country group were putting out an album and tried writing a Christmas song for them. Earle composed Nothing But A Child in July. Trying to find the Christmas spirit during the summer, he thought of the connection between the baby of the Christmas story and his own child.

After his song was rejected for the Oak Ridge Boys, Earle was putting the finishing touches on Copperhead Road. So, he decided to add this new song to his album. He put together a group to record it, and also called in Maria McKee (formerly of Lone Justice), who was in Nashville to record with U2. And, on a day that was “hot as Hell,” according to Earle, they recorded this song. 

Nothing But A Child begins with the Christmas scene of the Wise Men following a star. But coming upon the baby Jesus:

They scarce believed their eyes,
They’d come so many miles
And this miracle they prized
Was nothing but a child.

Earle’s song has always touched me in the way it connects us through our hopes. This connection makes the song fit better on an album with troubled characters with broken hearts and lost dreams. And for me, in a year of trials, that has included losing several people I’ve loved, it reminds me of how I can still be hopeful because of the birth of Jesus can make such a difference to the way we live our lives. 

May you discover hope this Christmas through Nothing But A Child.

Have blessed Christmas.

The words can be found below and you can enjoy Steve singing an acoustic version here – though the quality isn’t that great! 

Once upon a time, in a far off land
Wise men saw a sign and set out across the sand
Songs of praise to sing, they travelled day and night
Precious gifts to bring, guided by the light

They chased a brand new star, ever towards the west
Across the mountains far, but when it came to rest
They scarce believed their eyes, they’d come so many miles
And this miracle they prized was nothing but a child

Nothing but a child could wash those tears away
Or guide a weary world into the light of day
And nothing but a child could help erase those miles
So once again we all can be children for awhile

Now all around the world, in every little town
Everyday is heard a precious little sound
And every mother kind and every father proud
Looks down in awe to find another chance allowed

Nothing but a child could wash those tears away
Or guide a weary world into the light of day
And nothing but a child could help erase those miles
So once again we all can be children for awhile

Nothing but a child