How about an a capella “While my guitar gently weeps” with some faint sobbing in the background?
The song sucks ass, that’s why. There is no scriptural basis for one thing. The idea that a newborn wants to hear a drum is absurd, the ox and lamb keeping time is even more so. The parumpumpumpum chorus is like nails on the chalkboard. About the only one that grates me more is The First Noel and its fictional place called “Ih-is-RYE-el”.
The Spanishversion is less rupupumpummy, with ony one line per verse (the double one as the verse peaks). Makes it more pleasant IMO.
All of this. What a great version (although I like the song on its own merit).
What I have no patience for is Bob Seger’s rendition. Something about his rough yet overly earnest phrasing really grinds my gears.
well it wasn’t Joseph’s kid so there is that.
The Cherry Tree Carol dating from the 15th century (also not scriptural - sorry BobLibDem! :D) has Joseph being irked about this:
Joseph was an old man
And an old man was he,
When he married Mary
In the land of Galilee [i.e. the implication is that he was impotent]
…
*‘Pluck me one cherry, Joseph;
For I am with child.’
O then bespoke Joseph,
With words so unkind:
‘Let him pluck thee a cherry
That brought thee with child.’
*
I like this! Seems like a fun song to sing at the pub.
“The Cherry Tree Carol” goes on to have Jesus (from within Mary’s womb) tell the tree to bow down so his mother “might have some”. Mary says, “Look, I have cherries at command.”
And in the song “The Little Drummer Boy”, the boy asks permission to drum. “Mary nodded”, so it was okay with her.
And I like the song. “Then He smiled at me” makes me choke up.
That said, it sounds odd when anyone but a child or a children’s choir sings it.
Everyone uses a drummer to play drums. The whole point is that we have an amateur kid doing his best. Thats why the rumpa pum pum is better than an actual drummer. The inexact concept is better than the professional reality. It tells a deeper truth.
This is the first post here that has made me laugh out loud in a long time.
When you give birth to a king, you unfortunately do not have the luxury of a normal life anymore. Mary understands this and nods. The baby smiled. No crying he makes. The animals danced. Good stuff. If your issue is the account of the tale and not the musical quality of the song, you are projecting yourself into the situation and unfairly criticizing the art.
Many formally popular religiously themed Christmas songs/carols/hymns are not currently used in the Christmas music soundtrack for the soulless holiday marketing frenzy. That’s fine by me.
But TLDB is no slower than many carols. And I don’t know how you make a story song like this not sound preachy when the whole point is to get across a message. Give what you can and if it is from the heart that is all that will matter. Is that too saccharine for you? I kind of like it.
Yikes. Perhaps some needs a visit from three spirits?
Lots of Christmas tradition is non-scriptural. Historical fiction however is not inherently bad. And one person’s absurd is another person’s Christmas miracle.
If you think rumpa pum pum is nails on a chalkboard you must not have heard “all I want for Christmas is *yooooooouuuuuuoouuuuuuuuuu.” *
Or last Christmas I gave you my heart/the very next day you crushed it. Or, God Help us, Santa Baby.
There are like 10000 crap-ass Christmas songs, TLDB is like number 9995, a looong way from worst.
The saddest, slowest, and most moving of all carols is Bethlehem Down, written by Peter Warlock in 1927, in a minor key.
After everyone has left and things have quietened down, Mary imagines that Jesus will be a real king, and wear beautiful robes, and that the gifts of the wise men will come in useful:
*“When He is King we will give him the Kings’ gifts,
Myrrh for its sweetness, and gold for a crown,
Beautiful robes,” said the young girl to Joseph,
Fair with her first-born on Bethlehem Down.
Bethlehem Down is full of the starlight,
Winds for the spices, and stars for the gold,
Mary for sleep, and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.
*
But actually:
*When He is King they will clothe Him in grave-sheets,
Myrrh for embalming, and wood for a crown,
He that lies now in the white arms of Mary,
Sleeping so lightly on Bethlehem Down.
Here He has peace and a short while for dreaming,
Close-huddled oxen to keep Him from cold,
Mary for love, and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.*
Bethlehem Down
Not misplaced. I hate that song.
But why? That’s what I am trying to understand.
Eclipse chaser, post #15 explains it very well.
But Mary was blessed by God. Scriptures are silent on this, but I bet giving birth didn’t even hurt. Receiving guest graciously is part of the job of mother of the Savior. Even if, in reality, the drummer was named Bart, the drum was a pot, and the actual lyrics were “I AM SO GREAT!” That’s what the angels were for. Now they call them Valium.
There was always going to be a general hubbub at the stable. There was even a star to guide folks there. Angels were telling shepherds about it. That an indigent youngster would offer what he can is nice. The mother approved the performance. The kid did his best. I can understand empathy for new mothers, but that does not justify a loathing for the song.