Lyric discussion by fgbowen 

Cover art for The Devil Came to Bethlehem lyrics by Regina Spektor

Comments above about this song are right on!!!

And you may be surprised to know that it is highly likely that Jesus Christ would agree with you all -
HE did not approve of the religious people of his day - the Pharisees, who were extremely judgemental, hateful, and even murderous. He spent his time for the most part with people who needed him, and NOT with people who thought of themselves as TOO GOOD TO NEED ANYONE OR ANYTHING FOR ANY REASON. (And it isn't about being a Jew, and it isn't about being a Gentile. It is about what's going on, no matter WHO you are, in your heart, and mind.)

Another good point (in the comments) is about the Devil. He KNOWS the Bible quite well. And knows how to deceive even better.

It is also true that "No one can live up to the harsh expectations of religiosity" - NO ONE, but Jesus - He did that FOR us.
This of course, does NOT mean we get to go around killing each other, stabbing each other in the back, and snubbing everyone we don't like with our noses. It DOES mean we get the PRIVELEGE of learning how to love, understand, give and let live, for-give, learn to trust, grow up, and also think about what it means to keep the best parts of childhood and joy, honesty and simplicity, inside. Not everyone DOES these things of course, but it is still a PRIVELEGE to have them to work on.

It is my firmly held belief that Regina Spektor is the Poet Laureate of the WORLD today.

And about her music, she has said that she has all these notes going on in her head all the time. And ANYONE who is a composer with ANY kind of TRUE talent can TELL that she has a deft sense of harmony, and a lucid sense of juxteposition and strata. (I'm a composer, so I know all these things.) That is to say - Regina Spektor ... is a genius, in the truest sense of the word.