Hi all,
I confess that I'm not really a fan of the pop ‘Christmas Songs' that groups churn out to try and cash in on the season. They invariably seem to have the same rather lame air that's attached to seeing faded TV stars appearing in Christmas pantomimes at the Town Hall. You know you ought to be cheery and positive about it all, but a little eye rolling and ho-humming is probably the more likely response... :roll:
Not everybody looks forward to Christmas. It's common to hear “I can't wait for it to be over... we only do it for the kids... it's just a big commercial con now...†and so on. There's probably somebody like that in your street, who grumbles about it all, does almost no preparation, and then gets into it at the very last minute. In our street it's me.
So I thought I'd make more of an effort this time - for a couple of days anyway. I've already sung at two carols by candle-light Christmas events - both outdoors. One was a huge family and friends affair with plenty of food and drink, a PA, a long set of playing and singing and then more food and drink. The other one was a combined religious service with biblical readings and serious chat from the ministers mixed in with the singing.
One had an electrified band complete with keyboards, guitars, drum-kit and sax player whilst the other had an excellent classical guitarist, supported by a flute and two violins. The interesting thing was that it was the worship bunch who had the rock outfit and the booze and buns brigade who had the classical dude (who was superb). True. Apparently times have changed. :)
So here's my mixture of nonsense and two bob each way cheap Seasonal philosophising.
The timing's a bit rough at the beginning and end, but it's definitely gets closer in spots in the middle. I have a nasty feeling that it's already sounding a bit like I'm writing the same song each week but, hey, I'll try harder next year. I may not have sung exactly what's written either...
Cheers and have a Happy Holiday youse all.
Chris
It was written in A but I ended up sticking a capo on to get it a bit higher and crisper, so the recording's in B.
Up To You
(A ) Christmas time is ( D ) here once more
( A ) So what does it mean to (E ) you?
Oh ( A ) what does it mean
( D ) what does it mean
( A ) what does it ( E ) mean ( A ) to you?
D A E A
Is it ( A ) drunken Uncles and ( D ) more cheap cr**?
Or ( A ) Joseph and Mary with a ( E ) baby in her lap.
Is it ( A ) dragging out the plastic ( D ) holly yet again?
Or ( E ) Joy to the World and ( A ) Three ( D ) Wise ( A ) Men
Is it ( D ) too much food and ( A) beery farts?
Or ( D ) hope for the future with ( A ) awe in your hearts
Just ( E ) what does it mean to ( A ) you?
( D ) what does it mean ( A ) what does it mean ( E) what does it mean ( A ) to you?
D A E A
There's ( A ) more than one Christmas, we ( D ) all can win
You can ( A ) mutter and moan or (E ) join right in.
You may ( A ) choose to kneel at a ( D) saviour's feet
Or ( A ) revel at the pub to a ( E ) rock-n-roll beat. B7 E etc
But ( D ) whatever your creed and what(A )ever your race
Do ( D ) try for once to put a ( A ) smile on your face
It ( E ) really is up to ( A ) you
( D ) It really is up (A ) really is up (E) really is up ( A ) to you.
D A E A
You ( A ) don't have to believe in ( D ) shepherds and stars
Or ( A ) Eastern gurus, or ( E ) men from Mars
To ( A ) have an excuse to ( D ) do a bit of good
And ( E ) spread a little joy in your ( A ) neigh ( D ) bour ( A ) hood
(Hey! Check that out! 3 chords in one word!!)
( D ) Open up your hearts, be ( A ) happy and proud
( D ) Take it to the streets and ( A ) sing it out loud
( E ) Celebrate the old, ( A ) cheer in the New
( D ) Singing Merry Christmas to ( A ) you and you ( E ) you and you ( A ) and you and you...
D A E A
( D ) How you do it is ( A ) up to you but ( D ) celebrate the old and ( A ) cheer in the New
It (E ) really is up to ( A ) you, to ( D ) you
But you'll ( A ) feel a lot ( E ) better if you ( A ) do...
Chris,
Great work on the lyrics and delivery...I don't think you can have two more contrasting lines than...
Is it ( D ) too much food and ( A) beery farts?
Or ( D ) hope for the future with ( A ) awe in your hearts :shock:
Your other contrasts were well crafted as well :D
I had the same bah humbug feelings knowing the required Christmas engagements, but fortunately it seems I am not the only one tired of the same canned Christmas songs. I truly enjoyed the Christmas musical at church and the kids' school Christmas performances with different arrangements they were using.
Thanks for sharing.
Merry Christmas :D
James
I like the term "solid entry" that someone used earlier this week.
Solid entry = You come in first time with lyrics, chords, and mp3 = not just talkin' the talk but walkin' the walk.
Well done Sir Chris.
Merry Christmas
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
Hey Chris
Brilliant - I do believe we have our very own SSG Jake Thackery....
Rock on!
D 8)
I'm nowhere near Chicago. I've got six string, 8 fingers, two thumbs, it's dark 'cos I'm wearing sunglasses - Hit it!
Thanks for the generous comments guys. I've still got a great deal of room for improvement, especially with the music and singing, which is currently very basic, but I'm starting to enjoy myself which has to be a good sign. :)
I did wonder of I'd got too many couplets making the same contrast between the religious aspects and the secular and more commercial. But I ended up thinking that if I tried to work in other angles it would all get too muddy and complicated. It also did seem to be a commonly discussed angle - wondering if the ‘true' Christmas message has been lost, and then debating whether the original solstice celebration was just a pagan whoopee festival that wasn't so very far in spirit from today's holiday parties.... Anyway, I just tried to cover a couple of bases without being judgmental, and coming down on the side of being positive, community minded and cheerful.
Thanks to Dylan for for mentioning Jake Thackray. Just to have one tenth of his lyrical and musical talent would be a wonderful Christmas present indeed. It's decades since I'd heard any of his songs, so I just spent a very happy half hour on Youtube with tears of laughter running down my cheeks.
If any of you don't know him, just Google “Jake Thackray†and Youtube. Look out for songs like The Bull, Sister Josephine, The Lodger, Brother Gorilla, and so on. Sad to hear that he died in 2002 aged 64, around this time of year. What a loss. :(
Thanks for reading and listening.
Chris
Props for what must be the first SSG song to include "beery farts"
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Thanks Alan.
I felt that it was a richly resonant phrase with literary roots going all the way to Shakespeare and that, as such, it was fundamental to the structural and artistic integrity of the piece.
Either that or it was just a quick cheap crack at Christmas crassness.... :?
You had it right . . . I'm sure it was richly resonant . . . at least that's how I heard it.
. . . and poetically potent, flatulently fitting, and malodorously melodic.
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
cheers to you, Chris :D
for making me laugh out loud while i'm sitting under a christmas tree with a bit of awe in my heart and can't help but wonder if that's techno on the highest volume from the flat below :lol:
straycat.
"oh, eventually it will break your heart" - anders wendin
Very good work on the guitar part, Chris. The picking part alone brings a total Christmas-y feel to the song. I'm jealous of how easy you make that work!
And thanks for the huge laugh on the aside ("three chords on one word")! That alone made my day.
Peace
Thanks to Dylan for for mentioning Jake Thackray. Just to have one tenth of his lyrical and musical talent would be a wonderful Christmas present indeed. It's decades since I'd heard any of his songs, so I just spent a very happy half hour on Youtube with tears of laughter running down my cheeks.
Hey Chris - I feel a bit embarassed not spelling his name correctly - Thackray... :oops: but I don't think I've ever seen his name written down or ever typed it... but there was something about the song that made me think of him - and, as for tears running down cheeks - I remember his songs being played on the radio and I believe he used to have a spot on a tv show and my father would literally cry ( Tom and Jerry had the same effect but that's another story).
Haven't listened to Jake for probably twenty years - but I always remember the one about the little dog coming home, bark bark, woof woof. Funny how things stick in your mind eh?
Rock on!
D 8)
I'm nowhere near Chicago. I've got six string, 8 fingers, two thumbs, it's dark 'cos I'm wearing sunglasses - Hit it!
Not everybody looks forward to Christmas. It's common to hear “I can't wait for it to be over... we only do it for the kids... it's just a big commercial con now...†and so on. There's probably somebody like that in your street, who grumbles about it all, does almost no preparation, and then gets into it at the very last minute. In our street it's me.
I could have written those very words myself - but not the song that followed! Interesting to see the comparisons with Jake Thackray - with a lot of your previous songs, Chris, I've tried to visualise them in a kind of Mike Harding / Bernard Wrigley style - there was a veritable plethora (yes, I did get a new Thesaurus for Xmas - the old one was falling to bits with oveuse!) of artists in that style (Thackray's another, Jasper Carrott also springs to mind) in the late 70's/early 80's. Comedians who'd come on stage with a guitar and virtually ignore it - launch into long rambling monologues, punctuated by the occasional (folk-influenced, for the most part) funny song.
As for the song....nice contrast between the mundane (yep, the "beery farts" line again!) and the magic ("Joy to the world and three wise men") of Xmas. Voice is getting better with each succesive recording, and the guitar carries the melody along nicely - I can see improvement there, too. No longer just up-down-up-down strumming - now you're starting to investigate the possibilities further.
Keep 'em coming!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
