'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY-A CHRISTMAS SONGS STORY

 

‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la,

Strike the harp and join the chorus, fa la la la la, la la la la.’

So goes a popular Christmas song-“Deck The Halls”.  Let the joyous yuletide spirit flow as I take you to a ride on my favourite Christmas songs.

We begin on a nostalgic, sentimental note with “White Christmas” which has numerous versions and I like Bing Crosby’s the best. A few lines-

‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know,

Where the tree tops glisten, and children hasten to hear the sleigh bells in the snow….

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas with every Christmas card I write,

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white.’

Bing Crosby was at his best with Christmas songs. His “Silent Night” sung in his calm, soothing voice, touches the core of one’s heart and is unforgettable.

‘Silent night, holy night, all is calm, and all is bright,

Round yon virgin, Mother and Child, holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.’ 

On a humble note is “The Little Drummer Boy-

‘I’m a poor boy too….I have no gift to bring….that’s fit to give our King….

I played my drum for Him, pa-rum pum pum pum….

Me and my drum, me and my drum.’

No Christmas song list would be complete without “Jingle Bells”. 

‘Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,

Oh what fun it is to ride, in a one-horse open sleigh.’

Children love Christmas with its gifts, sweets, songs and merrymaking and wait for it to come impatiently throughout the year. In the late 1950s, a group called Alvin and the Chipmunks emerged. Their voices were modulated to sound like squirrels squeaking. They were immensely popular with “The Chipmunk Song”-

‘Christmas, Christmas time is near, time for toys and time for cheer,

We’ve been good, but we can’t last,

Hurry Christmas, hurry fast….

We can hardly stand the wait, so Christmas don’t be late!’

The festival is fun for all. So how can Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer with his shiny, glowing nose be left out! All the other reindeers used to laugh and call him names till 

‘One foggy Christmas eve, Santa came to say,

Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight.

Then how the reindeers loved him, as they shouted out with glee,

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, You’ll go down in history.’

For Santa to bring them gifts, children are supposed to be good throughout the year. They are warned of this in “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”.

‘You better watch out, You better not cry, You better not pout, I’m telling you why….

He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice, He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice….

He sees you when you’re sleeping, and knows when you’re awake,

He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake….

Santa Claus is coming to town.’

The gift which a child wishes for can be a personal need as in “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”. The poor kid complains that everybody stops and stares at those teeth which are gone and the kid does not know who to blame for this catastrophe. So-

‘All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth….

It seems so long since I could say,

“Sister, Susie sitting on a thistle”,

Gosh, oh gee, how happy I’d be, if I could only whistle….

Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth,

Then I could wish you, ‘Merry Christmas’.’

Children can be very naughty too. Listen to-

‘I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night,

She didn’t see me creep, she thought I was tucked up in my bedroom fast asleep….

Then I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus, underneath his beard so snowy white,

Oh, what a laugh it would have been, if Daddy had only seen,

Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.’

And so, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”.

P.S. It was 11years ago on Christmas day that Mummy transcended with a smile on her face.