I wrote the words to this song long before the American women’s lib movement of the 1970s.  There is no slight intended of women’s important contributions to America.  Godly women were instrumental in the formation of the Christian movement during Jesus’ three-year ministry as recorded in the Bible, just as a Christian woman’s contributions are important in America today.

It just so happens that the words to my song honor the common man in America. If someone wants to write the words to a song honoring the common woman in America, please have at it!

The words to this song are intended to honor the everyday common blue-collar men in the history of our nation, not the white-collar power brokers, not the rich, not the politicians, not the presidents of this and that – in other words, not the famous and important men you read about in the usual American academic history books.

Without the common men and women, we would not have all the good things we have in America today.  As so often happens, the common people do all the hard, dirty work and heavy lifting of building something, and then the rich and powerful seem to swoop in to take all the credit after the common people (like many of our American ancestors) blazed the trails and laid the foundations of this country we call the United States of America.

The Bible says, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

“Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).

“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs 29:23).

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited” (Romans 12:16).

But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

The Bible makes a strong case that God favors the humble, lowly, common people over the exalted, prideful people.

That is why I wrote the following words to this song, in order to honor the common man.

THE LIFE OF A COMMON MAN

By Dale V. Nobbman

Oh, it’s a hard life, but it’s a good life
The life of a common man
Yes, it’s a hard life, but it’s a good life
The life of a common man

A common man has to get up with the sun
He has to labor all day to get his work done
The sweat on his brow and the dirt on his hands
Is the price he pays; his existence demands

You won’t read his name in the front-page news
He won’t make history or the book of Who’s Who
He’s just a hardworking man doing the best he can
To make a good life ‘cause he’s a God-fearing man

He will work and pray his whole life long
His back may grow weak, but his faith remains strong
It was men of this kind who built the USA
It is still the common man who keeps it going today

Oh, it’s a hard life, but it’s a good life
The life of a common man
Yes, it’s a hard life, but it’s a good life
The life of a common man

Have you ever wondered what Joseph, Mary, and Jesus did the day after the birth of Jesus in    the stable manger?  Perhaps it was not much different than what most of us do today.  What do we do?  Well, if possible, we sleep in and then lounge about, eating, napping, and generally resting up after a stressful time leading up to the day of Christmas.  But if needed, we possibly entertain a few more people, just as Joseph and Mary did.  Sound familiar?

Joseph and the pregnant Mary had just completed an arduous 90-mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem, which likely took Joseph and Mary 7 to 10 days to complete, considering Mary’s condition and the rough terrain.  They arrived at Bethlehem in Judea late on the day Mary would give birth to our Savior, Jesus.  Does this sound familiar: arriving at your destination late in the evening after a long drive, and you just feel exhausted?  And if you do not make advance plans or reservations for accommodation, you are likely faced with no vacancies at motels or hotels, which are all booked up in your city or town of destination.

Such was the case with Joseph and Mary.  No phones or any other forms of quick electronic communication back then.  Joseph and Mary arrived late in Bethlehem, when the town was overcrowded with other travelers who were there for the Roman census.  They had to scramble to find a place quickly where Mary could deliver her baby.  But God the Father was in control of the situation and provided a humble manger where Mary could give birth to the Son of God, because there was “no room in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

It was there in the manger where Mary delivered the Christ child, an event that had been prophesied in the Bible hundreds of years in advance.  So, all went just as planned for Jesus Christ to arrive in human form in humble circumstances.  No sooner had Jesus been born than the Holy Family was visited by local shepherds, who had been informed of the birth of the Messiah by an angel while attending their flocks in the nearby fields.  The shepherds came that evening to pay homage to the newborn King.

Just as we are exhausted after entertaining family and friends into the wee hours of the day after Christmas, I reckon Joseph and Mary felt similar exhaustion and wanted to get some sleep after attending to the needs of their newborn child.  The couple most likely tried to sleep in a little bit, if that was at all possible amid the hubbub and noises of the animals in the manger.  I reckon Joseph then set out the day after Christmas to find suitable accommodation for them.

I used Bible scripture to plug in what the couple did in the days, weeks, and up to two years following the birth of Jesus Christ, while they lived in Bethlehem, for us to conclude the couple’s Bethlehem experience.  During this two-year period, Joseph probably worked at his occupation as a carpenter.

Eight days after the birth of Jesus, the Christ child was circumcised (Luke 2:21). Then, 40 days after His birth, Jesus was presented at the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:22). Approximately two years after Jesus’ birth, Joseph, Mary and Jesus, were living in a house in Bethlehem when the Magi from the East arrived to worship Him and give Him gifts, after following a star to Bethlehem to see the prophesized King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-13). After this, an angel warned Joseph to flee with Mary and Jesus to Egypt.  That ended the family’s stay in Bethlehem.