I’m technically still having my think break, but for your festive and peaceful enjoyment I felt moved to share this with you today.
My two year old has developed the knack of climbing onto a kitchen chair and turning on the music machine (technical term!). Permanently docked in the machine (because I don’t know what else to do with it) is a hand me down ipod…the previous owner was dedicated to collecting Christmas songs in particular, and so throughout the year we find ourselves catching random snatches of festive tunes.
As you can imagine it’s really coming into its own at the moment and I’ve spent more time with Bing this week than I have my husband. Earlier today my little son climbed up, pressed play, turned the volume up LOUDY and one of my favourite Christmas melodies flew out across the kitchen.
And I felt sad. Really sad. Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth was first performed in 1977 by one of the oddest but most marvellous vocal pairings: Bing Crosby and David Bowie. The lyrics Bowie sings (apparently written on the day of performance) are undoubtedly emotive, but today – as I sang them at my child – they particularly resonated.
The ‘years from now’ it references could be/should be today…these years, our years…why not? But today certainly doesn’t feel like the today that’s hoped for in the song…we’re really not there yet and I’m not sure that the 397 MPs who voted yesterday for airstrikes in Syria have helped us get much closer.
Peace on Earth, can it be?
Years from now, perhaps we’ll see…
See the day of glory
See the day when men of goodwill
Live in Peace, live in peace again.
Peace on Earth,
Can it be?
Every child must be made aware
Every child must be made to care
Care enough for his fellow man
To give all the love that he can
I pray my wish will come true
For my child and your child too
He’ll see the day of glory
see the day when men of goodwill
Live in Peace, live in Peace again
Peace on Earth
Can it be?
I’m not sure if I’m familiar with this particular song, but it’s a common theme in Christmas carols isn’t it – peace and goodwill. This is a lovely post, it reminds me again of the real meaning of Christmas beneath the surface fun of eating and decorating.
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Yes a very common theme, what a shame we can’t live by it all year. Thank you for your kind words x
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It’s a beautiful song, and I think that when I hear it this year it will make me sad too. #picknmix
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Love that song. Peace is probably the Christmas present the world most needs right now. I often think of song snippet “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me”. If everyone in the world did that… xxxxx
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Too true Annie x
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I’m more of a ‘Fairytale of New York’ girl for Christmas songs (admittedly less peace on Earth & goodwill to all men, more dysfunction on Earth and drunkeness to all men – we’re actually doing better at achieving the ‘dream’ of Fairytale of New York, in fact, now I think of it…). I agree that we do not seem to be making progress towards this message, though. The air strikes are truly ridiculous, and I wonder what Tony would have made of Hilary’s actions! #picknmix
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So much better at that! Love that song, another fave…eclectic taste and all that.
Hmm sad times…
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I love Christmas songs, but I have the same thing with my ipod I forget to take Christmas songs off for the rest of the year, so I end up with random festive tunes in my car in the Summer when I can’t reach the ipod plug in to change it, leads to some strange looks in traffic 😉
Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix
Stevie x
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This version of Little Drummer Boy is one of my favourites and the lyrics to Peace on Earth are so beautiful – if only we lived in a world where it was a reality. Teaching our children to care for others around them is the best thing we can do to help encourage it to happen.
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I’ll have to relisten to this one as I’ve not hard it for years. I’m despairing at the world at the moment. I 100% disagree with air strikes and all of the inflammatory words being thrown around. So hard to know what to do for the best other than raise tolerant and kind children. Hope you are enjoying a break.
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I think you are absolutely right, let’s all start the revolution! x
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