They said "There'll be snow at Christmas"
They said "There'll be peace on Earth",
But instead it just kept on raining,
A veil of tears for the Virgin's birth.

I remember one Christmas morning
A winter's light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas-tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire.

They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
They told me a fairy story
Till I believed in the Israelite

And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked at the sky with excited eyes
'Till I woke with a yawn, in the first light of dawn
And I saw him through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish, pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear.

They said "There'll be snow at Christmas"
They said "There'll be peace on Earth"
Hallelujah, Noel! Be it Heaven or Hell
The Christmas we get we deserve.

(choral instrumental)


Lyrics submitted by kirotourmaline

"I Believe In Father Christmas" song meanings
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    General Comment

    This song was unfortunately out of print for many years, but a new version by Emerson Lake and Palmer surfaced in the mid-1990s. It's production is much more lavish.

    The stanza "And I believed in Father Christmas/And I looked at the sky with excited eyes/'Till I woke with a yawn, in the first light of dawn/And I saw him through his disguise." is the most bitter. "And I saw him through his disguise". He begins to see Santa as a lie.

    Rikdad sums it up beautifully in his/her take on the last verse. I think it is an ironic mention of hope. And yet, I think Greg Lake is being sincere when he wishes "All anguish, pain, and sadness leave your heart and let your road be clear." He offers hope, yet the road to this hope will not be an easy one.

    I must ask, which Christmas song is more depressing, yet brutally honest--this or Gordon Lightfoot's "Circle of Steel"?

    Susan_The_BassPlayeon November 25, 2008   Link

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