With Christmas Album, Journey Songwriter Enters Debate Over ‘Mary, Did You Know’

Longtime Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain recently rediscovered faith. His first Christmas album explores the many miracles of the Nativity — including Mary’s role.

By Josh Shepherd Published on December 18, 2017

Jonathan Cain has faced many skeptics about his entry into Christian music. Keyboardist for world-renowned rock band Journey, Cain recently came to know God in a new way. “He’s a better Jon Cain,” the longtime manager of Journey told one reporter about his friend’s newfound faith.

In 2014, Cain married the woman instrumental in his faith journey. She’s one of the nation’s most well-known evangelicals — Pastor Paula White-Cain, a close and longtime faith advisor to President Donald Trump.

Yet Cain also faces questions on another front. For people of faith who listen to Christmas music, there’s a perennial debate online. It centers on the contemporary Christian song “Mary, Did You Know.” Many Catholics and other Christians contend the song reflects poorly on the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel visited Mary.

With his new record Unsung Noel, Jonathan Cain steps right into the fray. His keyboard-driven style resembles Phil Collins, Paul McCartney and Michael W. Smith’s pop-influenced praise. The album includes four Christmas standards and ten new songs, including one entitled “Hail Mary.” It’s a unique take on Mary’s story, reflecting Cain’s Catholic roots and his current evangelical faith.

Speaking from his Florida home, Cain shares about his faith journey and why celebrating Christmas matters.

When did the songs of Unsung Noel begin to come to you?

As I searched the Scriptures, I found so many beautiful moments in Matthew and Luke. It seemed like miracles that needed to be magnified.

Jonathan Cain: On the road, I was playing with Journey and backstage these songs were coming. I was going on my days off into hotel rooms and recording the early versions.

As I searched the Scriptures, I found so many beautiful moments in Matthew and Luke. It seemed like miracles that needed to be magnified. The angelic visits of Joseph and Mary. ‘You shall call His name Jesus.’ I’m like, Wow, Are you kidding me?

Then I discovered a Billy Graham sermon online called “The Cross, the Cradle and the Crown.” The takeaway was that Christ is the heart of Christmas. That message of sacrifice and salvation for our sins hit me. I had never really considered Christmas as the manger and the Cross in the same breath. But there it was.

I began to ask, What else is there? Joseph had the dilemma of Mary’s pregnancy to deal with. How dark of a world it was. In a world full of darkness, He came to bring light. So I wanted to paint that picture. Not only was His birth a fact, but the time He came into this world was so dangerous. Yet He braved it.

Isaiah had prophesied 700 years before the birth of our Savior. Now the angels were there to lead praise. The words already written were being fulfilled. Then it hit me: This is the unspoken Christmas. Noel means “song of Christmas” so it turned into Unsung Noel. To magnify the Nativity was the goal here.

It’s rare for a Christmas album to have ten new songs. Why so many?

Cain: Four years ago, I had not written one song for God. My faith has grown. Coming into Paula’s world, I’ve met these mighty men of God — prayer warriors and prophets. We were traveling in Africa, and I received a word from God spoken by three African leaders.

Three different men on three separate occasions said about the same thing. I recall one grabbed me and said, “You are anointed for kingdom music.” I’m like, “I am? I’ve written some tunes, but I don’t know about kingdom music.” I thought it was going to be crazy hard. But it didn’t go down that way. Every time I finished a song, there was another one waiting. It’s a calling thing. I feel like I’m worshipping when I’m writing. It’s very strange.

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When you’re on a roll, a creative wave, you just ride it for as long as you can. I promised God that I would be faithful with what He gave me. He led me to places where I was like, Whoa, I never thought of that, Lord. I have always loved Christmas, the idea of it. Now Unsung Noel looks at the many miracles that make up the story.

The song “Hail Mary” seems to bridge the gap between your evangelical faith and Catholic roots. Could you share about that track?

Cain: It’s an answer song to “Mary, Did You Know.” I was looking at recording that one, and God spoke to my spirit. She knew, Jon — you know that she knew. It’s true. She knew her baby boy would be King someday. She was the chosen one. She was set apart to be the woman to birth our Savior. This was destiny.

So I have something else for you, said that still, small voice. Do you remember that prayer you prayed growing up, about Mary being full of grace? Where I fell in love with Christ was the orthodox Catholic church. This song was a way of saying, I started here. I’ve learned part of grace is being obedient when you’re chosen.

Remember, this woman could’ve been arrested. She wasn’t supposed to be with child. There was so much controversy surrounding it. “Hail Mary” just came from my roots. It’s not necessarily: let us all genuflect to Mary. For me, I shine a light on this grace part. So that’s where that song came from.

If you consider the lyrics, you’ll see where I’m going with it. “Hail Mary” just sounded absolutely perfect to me. I could say “Remember Mary” or “Oh Mary,” but it had to be “Hail Mary.” It sang beautifully. I wanted to make it have a sort of desert rhythm. Jesus was born into a tribal place, so we used tribal drums to give it that atmosphere.

Does Unsung Noel reflect contributions from other Christian artists?

Cain: “Light of the World” by Matt Redman is one of my favorite modern Christmas songs. I picked that one as one to elevate. I did it slightly different than the ones that were out there. I thought, Let’s give a nod to true greatness. I’m hoping to get with him for my next album so we can write something together.

I actually just had dinner with Matt. This pastor friend of mine asked after a worship night: “Would you mind if Matt joins us?” And I was thrilled to get to hand him this album. “I just cut one of your songs, man,” I told him. He loved it.

There are several Christian artists whose work I admire a lot. I would love to write with Chris Tomlin at some point. Matthew West, Lincoln Brewster, Matt Maher — they’ve all written some powerful songs. The schedules are just difficult; we’ve all got these little windows where we can work. We’ll keep making the effort.

Tell us about the recording process for Unsung Noel.

Cain: We recorded this album in probably 10 days, the whole thing. It’s probably the most effortless, anointed thing I’ve ever done. Even the guys in the studio, they couldn’t believe it. These are musicians who work with John Mayer, Toby Keith and Kelly Clarkson all the time. And they were blessed by being part of this.

There’s this devout worship that comes over you as you’re working on music to God.

The icing on the cake was having Grace Church Nashville come in and worship in the studio. Their choir sang on “Emmanuel” and “O Holy Night” — which I think is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, period.

Landy Gardner served as choir director. Before this, he had been frustrated and left music. When I asked him to help me, he jumped on the project. He came out of retirement and wrote these beautiful arrangements. We had this wonderful night together with the choir, worshiping before we laid down the tracks.

As he was leaving, he told me he was dying of cancer. I’m like, Oh no. So we prayed for five minutes out there in the parking lot. Sadly, he passed away a few weeks ago.

We dedicated the album to Landy and his legacy.

There’s this devout worship that comes over you as you’re working on music to God. Making this album, several times I had to stop because I was getting swept up in it. I’d get emotional and tear up in the middle of a take. But God put enough wind in our sails to push us to get it done.

Unsung Noel is currently available online and wherever music is sold.

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