Sing Along on the Sixth Day of Christmas

Our sing-along for Wednesday, December 30, is “Winter Wonderland,” but I’ve provided a surprise, which is referenced below.

Like a lot of secular “Christmas” songs, this one has nothing to do with Christmas: it’s really a wintertime song. Nevertheless, we probably won’t hear it on the radio once they stop playing “holiday” music, even though in this part of the world we’ll be shoveling “winter wonderland” for months yet.

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?
In the lane snow is glistening.
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Gone away is the bluebird;
Here to stay is a new bird
To sing a love song while we stroll along
Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow, we can build a snowman.
We'll pretend that he is Parson Brown.
He'll say, "are you married?" We'll say, "No, man,
But you can do the job when you're in town."

Later on, we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid the plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Click here for the recording.

And now the surprise. Each year in the holiday season, The Plain Dealer publishes some parody songs on the opinion pages in their “Editorial Carolbook.” I’ve done my best with Lisa Garvin’s clever 2020 contribution, called “Walking in Coronavirus Land.” The singalong lyrics plus the other songs for 2020 are at the previous link, and my recording is here. (Plain Dealer friends, this is intended as a compliment, not a copyright violation. If you don’t like it, please let me know and I’ll take it down.)

Not sure what this is about? Click here!

Join us at https://lavezzi.us/ on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas to join in this virtual sing-along. Care to be a serial singer? Here you go:

My featured image for this post comes from a drive-through of the GE Nela Park holiday light display in 2017. Seemed like a Winter Wonderland to us!

Sing Along on the Fifth Day of Christmas

Our sing-along for Tuesday, December 29, is “Deck the Hall”–another song with an interesting past and interesting variations.

  • The “halls” weren’t originally plural. Perhaps that’s because as originally presented, the singers wouldn’t be in any condition to “deck” more than one hall.
  • I’ve always thought that the verb “troll” in the first stanza should be “toll,” as you would toll a bell. But no-o-o-o! Evidently the original Welsh word was “troul,” whose English version “troll” can mean “to sing the parts of [in this case, an “ancient Yuletide carol”] in succession . . . ; also, to sing loudly, freely or in a carefree way.” So “troll” it is.
  • The G-rated lyrics with which we are most familiar come from a cleaned-up version published in the Pennsylvania School Journal of 1877; the original PG-rated lyrics mention a “meadcup” and “quaffing,” and also “beauty’s treasure.” Aha!
  • There’s some question about whether it’s referring to a “Yuletide” or “Christmas” carol (stanza 1) or treasure (stanza 2). Originally this was published as a New Years’ Eve song; the school version referenced Christmas. I’ve gone with “Yuletide,” which refers to a season, not an event.
  • The annoying fa-la-las are evidently some ancient Welsh scat singing. But it wouldn’t be “Deck the Hall” (or “Halls”) without them.
Deck the hall with boughs of holly,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
'Tis the season to be jolly,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Don we now our gay apparel,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

See the blazing yule before us,
     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!
Follow me in merry measure,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
While I tell of Yuletide treasure,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Fast away the old year passes,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Sing we joyous all together,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Heedless of the wind and weather,
     Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

Click here for the recording.

Not sure what this is about? Click here!

Join us at https://lavezzi.us/ on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas to join in this virtual sing-along. Care to be a serial singer? Here you go:

Sing Along on the Fourth Day of Christmas

Our sing-along for Monday, December 28, is “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” This year at least, we’re using just two familiar English verses, not the Latin “Adeste Fideles,” which is the first verse of the original version of the hymn. The song actually has an astonishing eight Latin verses, but some of them are almost impossible to sing in English.

Our verses and the familiar chorus:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, 
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him, born the King of angels;

O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, 
O come let us adore Him, 
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all you citizens of heav'n above.
Glory to God in the highest.

O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Click here for the recording.

Not sure what this is about? Click here!

Join us at https://lavezzi.us/ on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas to join in this virtual sing-along. Care to be a serial singer?