Two other carols - Simon & Garfunkel

More obscurely, two other carols sung by Simon & Garfunkel can be found. Comfort and Joy is an a cappella arrangement of the carol God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The Star Carol is a carol written by Alfred Burt and Wihla Hutson. It was first released by "Tennessee" Ernie Ford in 1958. Both are found on the album Old Friends published in 1997.

The simple but moving lyrics of the star carol are

Long years ago on a deep winter night

High in the heavens, a star shone bright

While in the manger, a wee baby lay

Sweetly asleep on a bed of hay

Jesus our Lord was that baby so small

Laid down to sleep in a humble stall

Then came the star and it stood overhead

Shedding its light 'round His little head

Dear baby Jesus, how tiny Thou art

I'll make a place for Thee in my heart

And when the stars in the heavens I see

Ever and always I think of Thee.

Go tell it on the Mountain and 7 O'Clock news/Silent Night - Simon & Garfunkel

A feature of early Simon & Garfunkel is a willingness, despite being Jewish, to sing Christian songs, such as You can tell the world. Some of these songs are Christmas carols. Go Tell It on the Mountain is an African-American spiritual song probably passed down by oral tradition but originally published by John Wesley Work Jr (1871-1925) from Nashville. The lyrics are

Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere;

go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born

(alternatively, especially if it is not Christmas, "Jesus Christ is Lord".

If it is Easter, "That Jesus lives again".)

While shepherds kept their watching o'er silent flocks by night

Behold throughout the heavens there shone a Holy light

The shepherds feared and trembled when, lo! above the Earth

Rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Saviour's birth

Down in a lowly manger our humble Christ was born

And brought us all salvation that blessed Christmas morn

"Go Tell It on the Mountain" probably refers to the shepherds described in Luke's Gospel, hence the alternate title of "While shepherds kept their watching". 

Before Simon & Garfunkel recorded it in 1964, Peter, Paul and Mary had adapted and rewritten it with specific references to Exodus and using the phrase "Let my people go" but referring implicitly to the civl rights struggles of the early 1960s.

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Also in 1966 they recorded a version of the famous German language carol Silent Night. Billed as 7 O'Clock News/Silent Night the track is a sound collage juxtaposing their two part harmony rendition of Silent Night with a simulated 7 O'Clock News bulletin featuring actual events from the summer of 1966 read by Charles O'Donnell, a then radio disc jockey. As the track progresses, the news report assumes a greater presence through an increase in volume. The very basic point is made that though Jesus has come, the world is still a mess. Jewish polemic sometimes argues that Messiah cannot have come because of this but that is to forget the Second Coming. The mix on the track purposely clashes with the piano accompaniment mixed solely to the left channel and the news solely to the right channel while the vocals remain in the middle.

Events referred to include a dispute in the House of Representatives over "the civil rights bill"; the death of comedian Lenny Bruce from an overdose aged 42 (actually 40); Martin Luther King Jr. reaffirming plans for an open housing march; the grand jury indictment of Richard Speck for the murder of nine (actually eight) student nurses; disruption by protesters at the House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings into anti-Vietnam War protests; a speech by former Vice-President Richard Nixon to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (actually the American Legion) urging an increase in the war effort in Vietnam, and calling opposition to the war the "greatest single weapon working against the US".

Winter Song - Lindisfarne

Elvis Costello once called "Winter Song", the third track on Lindisfarne's 1970 debut Nicely out of tune, one of the greatest songs ever, and he may be right. There is a starkness about the presentation, appropriate for a winter song, and it sounds like a solo effort on first hearing but the bass and excellent mandolin work become evident on further listens. The contrasting harshness and gentleness of the vocals at various points is another great feature of this excellent alternative Christmas song that manages to reference snowdrops, the turkey in the oven, the Christmas presents bought, Santa and Jesus and yet remains sceptical throughout. Its message, a typical Alan Hull socialist one it would seem, is that in the midst of winter rather than just feeling sorry for ourselves we should spare a thought for homeless tramps, gypsies and even for Jesus (although even there Hull is as non-commital as he can be). What a striking song.

Do you spare one thought for Jesus

Who had nothing but his thoughts

Who got busted just for talking

And befriending the wrong sorts?

Christmas Wrapping - the Waitresses

This 1981 Christmas number has a lot going for it. First, the music is top notch, making a quiet start and showing a good deal of variety throughout with excellent guitar, saxophone and vocal riffs, a tight horn section and even some jazz clarinet on the fade out. Then, Patty Donahue's throaty voice is very attractive and the lyrics full of interest as they relate the year long love story that happily resolves itself at Christmas time. It reminds me of one of those stories they used to have in my sister's Jackie magazine in the seventies. While being pretty specific in detail, it manages to capture the spirit of love at Christmas and the transformation from Christmas alone to Christmas with your new love is effectively done. The Christmas references are legion and the song even manages to open with the words "Bah humbug". The manifold repetion of "Merry Christmas" is also neatly done. Great stuff!

I believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake

This is one of my favourite Christmas pop songs. Not originally written as a Christmas song, there is a dispute between singer and writer (Peter Sinfield) over whether it is a protest against the over commercialisation of Christmas or a song about loss of innocence. It is certainly rather cynical as it describes growing up and learning that a white Christmas, peace on earth, Santa Claus and, as far as the writer is concerned, the Israelite too, are simply untrue. With such a large amount of cynicism, the song is in danger of collapsing under its own weight so a valiant effort is made to rally by wishing everyone a brave and hopeful Christmas, free from anguish and pain. Perhaps the strength of the song, however, is its ability to capture a traditional childhood Christmas in the west with references to "that Christmas tree smell", "eyes full of tinsel and fire" and "waking in the first light of dawn". The song has appeared in various guises but the best one is probably the original Greg Lake version of 1974, where the choir, sleigh bells, orchestra and drums all make their mark behind Lake's brilliant twelve string guitar, complete with harmonics. The use of the Troika from Prokofiev is no small part of the song's genius. Remaining optimistic in the midst of the reality of life is not easy. Jettisoning false beliefs and avoiding being naive is good but without hope, what is left to keep you going? Some of us do believe in the Israelite and that makes all the difference.

2000 Miles - The Pretenders

To its credit, the 1983 Pretenders single 2000 Miles does not immediately sound like a Christmas song, although there is a choir effect and some bell like instrumentation. It does mention the word Christmas more than once, however, along with snow and children, and seems to be dealing with one of the perennial Christmas issues - being separated from a loved one over the otherwise happiest of seasons. The song does not quite give it away, but it was apparently written in memory of founder member and guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, who had died the previous June aged only 25. If this is so, then the song is dealing with an even bigger perennial issue, bereavement at Christmas time. It offers no real solution but simply observes that the loved one is gone 2000 miles or whatever, which is indeed very far. Inevitably, the one left behind says "I miss you" as they think of the dead person, wherever they go. Happiness goes on all around and the bereaved one even joins in to some extent but the nearest they get to seeing the one they would really like to see is in a dream. The snow works well as a metaphor as while diamonds sparkle in it, it does get colder rather than warmer in winter and there are frozen and silent nights. A slow number, full of wonderfully jangling guitars, it somehow manages to sound optimistic despite the loss.