#175 - "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Future of Forestry
What's the heart behind the band's latest Christmas tune? NRT's Kevin Davis finds out.
Advent Christmas Volume 2 by Future of Forestry, was released to digital outlets Nov. 2, 2010, and in select stores nationwide. The EP features six songs, including four traditional holiday classics, one original song, and an instrumental interlude.
“The Advent series started as a side project, but after hearing the first EP and touring on the project, it was evident that this music was becoming an important part of the band,” explains frontman Eric Owyoung. “When we started hearing a similar response from our friends and fans, we couldn’t wait to get in the studio and continue the series.”
This project is very similar, stylistically, to what Future of Forestry fans have come to love. It's epic in sound, using a wide pallet of instrumentation while managing to keep a sentimental feel that honors the season it celebrates. “We really wanted these two Christmas albums to be cohesive, so you can listen to the EPs together and have it seem like one experience,” continues Owyoung.
I got the great chance to interview lead singer Eric Owyoung about “Do You Hear What I Hear.” Here’s what he shared with me about the song.
Please tell me the story behind choosing to cover the song “Do You Hear What I Hear.”
When we heard the song, it reminded us of a nursery rhyme. Normally when we’ve heard this song it reminds us of a children’s song. We wanted to take a children’s style song and add some mysterious and complex music. In a way, sometimes even dark music. There’s something that happens when you combine those things. When you combine innocent lyrics with dark music, it creates a storybook-type experience. When I brought the idea to TJ, another musician in the band, he said “are you serious?” and then when we started recording the song, and he understood where I was going. When you listen to the song, “a star a star dancing in the night” we add this affected guitar line with some sparkle to reflect the star dancing. It was a good song to paint the picture of the story of Christ’s birth.
How can listeners apply that message in their walks as Christians when they listen to the song?
At the end of the song when the king says, “Pray for peace people everywhere,” we build up the music to a big crescendo. We had fun painting the musical and lyrical picture of these groups describing this awesome life changing event. One of the things I like to do is take Christmas songs that we’ve heard so many times we’ve turned our brains off to the message of the song, and make these Christmas songs interesting musically. If you think about the lyrics of this song, “a child, a child shivers in the cold, let us bring Him silver and gold” they are very poetic lyrics. That’s the type of song we really like to sing.
Please tell me about any Bible verses that you think go with the song.
Matthew 2:1-2: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:10-11: When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
“Pray for peace people everywhere”
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
As Eric Owyoung profoundly pointed out, the lyrics of this famous Christmas song have a childlike, nursery rhyme quality. As we discussed the takeaway message of the song, we both realized that as Christians, we need to always approach the birth of our Savior Jesus with a childlike wonder. That’s one of the reasons I’ve always connected to this song, which I’ve loved since I was a child.
Now as a Christian father with three young daughters who I’m teaching to love Jesus, this song is a picture of God’s “goodness and light.” I had fun breaking down the lyrics of this song and in true Future of Forestry fashion, this version is incredible.
The song starts quietly but rises to an incredible crescendo with ringing bells and Coldplay-like guitar riffs. Eric Owyoung sings with passion as the song declares, “pray for peace people everywhere.” I’ve loved the sound of this band for the past several years and this is by far my favorite Christmas album of all time. My recommendation is to pick up both Advent Christmas volumes and you can play these amazing Christmas songs over and over and really get into the true reflective and worshipful Christmas spirit.
Kevin Davis is a long time fan of Christian music, an avid music collector and credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. Kevin also writes reviews for ChristianMusicReview.org. He currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
NEW!BEHIND THE SONG
#1296 - Mary-Clair
A candid conversation about faith, vulnerability, and finding God
ADVERTISEMENT
NEW!MOVIE REVIEW Miracle
NRT reviews the new movie after attending the premiere
NEW!SERIES REVIEW
A Night At Wingfeather
We attended the show's premiere of the Angel Studios animated show
NEW!NRT LISTS
Worship Into 2026
Standout new worship releases that invite the Church to sing and reflect
NEW!THE CHH DROP
#261 - Gavin the Hotrod
What's new this week in Christian rap and hip-hop
