I'm not quite sure where I'm going, musically, with this yet....I was thinking verse (I IV V) verse (I IV V) chorus....but the choruses didn't quite seem to fit the "Xmas Rock'n'Roll" feeling I was aiming for - so I'll leave it for now, and work the music out in the AM. For now, think of it as a fast Chuck Berry-style rocker, but with bells....sleigh bells...christmas bells....oh, just bells on it!
Christmas Songs
Well it's that time of year again,
Rudolph's on the way,
Donner and Blitzen following,
With Santa on his sleigh,
Elves in the work shop,
Been busy all year long,
Now Santa's taking out their work,
While we all sing Christmas songs....
Jingle Bells and White Christmas,
Slade and Wizzard and Elton John,
Frosty the Snowman's home for Christmas,
Don't you love those Christmas songs?
Presents underneath the tree,
Wrapped up to kingdom come,
With half a roll of sellotape,
Take a week till they're undone,
The family's round for Christmas dinner,
Turkey, Brussels sprouts,
Won't be long 'fore they're singing,
When we get the oldies out,
So this is Christmas,
Merry Christmas Everyone,
Grandma's rockin'round the tree,
To those Christmas songs,
We don't need much,
Just to be together's enough,
The family bonds have never been so strong,
As when we sing those Christmas songs,
So let's sing those songs together,
'Bout love and peace on Earth,
And Gold and Myrrh and Frankincense,
About the Virgin's birth,
And let's sing those songs together,
Let the family be united,
And all those wrongs of the last year,
Will somehow be righted.....
: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.)
I found a really nice chord progression that I'd like to use one day when I can make the transitions faster.
Dm G F Am
Don't know why I posted that . . .
other than you started by saying you weren't sure what you were going to use so . . .
I'll toss that out.
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
Nice. Only comment is on a couple of lines that the rhythm felt wrong - of course, haven't heard how you intend it, so it just may be my reading.
"Slade, Wizzard, Elton John," (cut out the "and"s so you can give more emphasis to each artist)
"Will somehow be righted" (to match the other endings, felt like if you don't add one more syllable you'd have to drag out right-ed, but that didn't feel right to me)
jeremy
And my Soundclick Page to listen to my song submissions: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=903876
good enough for starters, I'll give it a try.....cheers, Ken.
Minor chords may just be a bit dark for what's supposed to be an up-tempo, happy-feely-goody Xmas song though...
: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.)
good enough for starters, I'll give it a try.....cheers, Ken.
Minor chords may just be a bit dark for what's supposed to be an up-tempo, happy-feely-goody Xmas song though...
Vic
I was thinking the same thing after I posted.
But I figured you'd discover that when you tried them.
But isn't it a lovely sounding sequence?
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
Hi Vic,
I liked the sly nod to Lennon (I may have missed other references too, not having your breadth of knowledge). By coincidence I dropped in at the local music shop this morning just in time to hear Lennon singing just that... "So this is Christmas"... :note1: :note2: :)
The song looked suitably Christmassy, but not quite in the "bah humbug" character which you usually project about it all. So I did wonder, after all those nice politically correct verses, if you couldn't do a small switch?
Instead of:
And let's sing those songs together,
Let the family be united,
And all those wrongs of the last year,
Will somehow righted.....
Perhaps end with something more like this:
So let's sing those songs together
While the beer still has an effect
Because tomorrow we'll be back to normal
Wringing each other's necks.... :?:
By yet another coincidence, I dropped round to a mate's place yesterday to drop some stuff off, and congratulate him and his daughter for their success in winning their class in this year's sidecar championship (local 'vintage' motorbikes) when I spotted something that I thought you might enjoy. John (who is a Aussie originally from the North of England, and therefore the maddest type of all.... ) runs a mobile mechanic business, and I think one of his customers was trying desperately to get to his place for some last minute emergency repairs. Apparently they didn't quite make it... :(
Sadly, it appears quite pertinent to your song... :( :shock:
Cheers,
Chris
I found a really nice chord progression that I'd like to use one day when I can make the transitions faster.
Dm G F Am
Don't know why I posted that . . .
other than you started by saying you weren't sure what you were going to use so . . .
I'll toss that out.
Interesting combo Ken. :)
If that was in C major you'd have ii V IV vi there, so I tried kicking it off with C major, then going into your sequence, followed by Dm G C to resolve it back to base. Like so:
C Dm G F
Am Dm G C
It seemed to come out OK. Might not have been the feel you intended though.. :)
Or it could be in A minor (the relative minor of C - i.e same chords as C major but serving a different function in Aminor) in which case....oh, shut up Christopher, that's quite enough blathering... Get off before they throw you off :roll:
Hi Vic,
Anything I was going to write after reading the lyrics was already posted by others....I'll look forward to the listen.
Merry Christmas,
James
Why, oh, why can't I leave others' lyrics alone?
OK, for this verse,
The family's round for Christmas dinner,
Turkey, Brussels sprouts,
Won't be long 'fore they're singing,
When we get the oldies out,
I recommend, with bias of course,
Family gathers for Christmas dinner,
Turkey, gravy, and dressing
We bow our heads in prayer
And ask the Lord for His blessing
or (I have to sneak in beer wherever I can)
Family gathers around to feast
And we tap the beer barrels
Raise our mugs in the air
And belt out Christmas carols
Brussel sprouts? Is there a worse vegetable?
English - reputation - bad cuisine
Merry Christmas, Victor Ebenezer Lewis, Happy Christmas
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
C Dm G F
Am Dm G C
I'll try that, Chris. Right now it's after 2 AM so I better not flip on the amp and crank out some chords. . .
or Mrs. Santa is going to put lumps of coal in places other than just my stocking.
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
Brussel sprouts? Is there a worse vegetable?
English - reputation - bad cuisine
I love sprouts - my favourite vegetable. Then again, I'll eat most veg apart from cauliflower and broccoli. Bad cuisine? We'll be sitting down to, let's see....Turkey with home-made stuffing, cooked with chipolatas and streaky bacon....roast and boiled potatoes, carrot and parsnips, sprouts, garden peas - from the pod, NOT a tin or the freezer - and various other vegetables, with home-made gravy. That'll be followed by Xmas pud, again home made - back in August, to give it time to mature (if that's the right word?) - with brandy sauce, and there'll be mince pies as well if anyone's got any room left. If that doesn't get the old taste buds working, they need re-connecting!
And oh, yes, there will be beer - speaking of which, I like this verse....
Family gathers around to feast
And we tap the beer barrels
Raise our mugs in the air
And belt out Christmas carols
with a tiny bit of tweaking, that should fit nicely - I'm seriously tempted to use that, so thanks Ken.
Merry Christmas, Victor Ebenezer Lewis, Happy Christmas
...the "bah humbug" character which you usually project about it...
I'm actually feeling quite Christmassy, full of bonhomie and goodwill and peace on earth at the moment. Probably the lingering effects of last night's alcohol intake, but still - I'll take feeling good wherever it comes from. Nothing wrong with Christmas in its place - I just happen to believe that place is between about December 24th and the 26th. NOT the middle of November to the middle of January. And as for the true meaning of Xmas? That'll only become clear about April or so, when the credit card statements arrive....
Chris, LOVE that picture! Keeping it and printing it out to use next year!
: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.)
oooops....
"Will somehow be righted" (to match the other endings, felt like if you don't add one more syllable you'd have to drag out right-ed, but that didn't feel right to me)
Spotter's badge on its way to you, Jeremy - "will somehow be righted" was what it was supposed to be in the first place. Thanks for pointing it out....edited accordingly.
: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.)
I envy you your christmas dinner, Vic :D
love the sellotape verse! "wrapped up to [till?] kingdom come" :lol: oh my.
and a big smile from me for using the word "bonhomie" which always reminds me of dear old Eeyore :D
cheerio,
straycat.
"oh, eventually it will break your heart" - anders wendin
I made Brussel Sprouts for dinner yesterday - we cook them with a glaze of maple syrup and habanero pepper flakes. Absolutely yummy.
This is a lot of fun, Vic. If you're going for a standard rock sort of feel, how 'bout using IV - V - I on the choruses? Or even bVII - IV - I? Just a thought.
Looking forward to hearing this at some point.
Peace
