Le canzoni di Babbo Natale

Tra le tante canzoni natalizie e dedicate in particolare a Babbo Natale, non manca la celebre Ding Dong Merrily on High un pezzo tradizionale, scritto da George Ratcliffe Woodward. La melodia, invece, è molto più antica, è di origine francese e, addirittura, è stata pubblicata nel 1588. A quell’epoca, il titolo era Bransle l’Officiale e legato ad un trattato sulla danza. Tra nuovi arrangiamenti e risistemazioni è giunto fino a noi. Ecco questa ed altri testi di canzoni dedicate ai giorni di festa di fine anno:

Ding dong! merrily on high

[Refrain:]
Ding dong! merrily on high,
In heav’n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with angel singing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

E’en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And “Io, io, io!”
By priest and people sungen.

[Refrain]

Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.

[Refrain]

Driving home for Christmas

I’m driving home for Christmas Oh, I can’t wait to see those faces
I’m driving home for christmas, yea
Well I’m moving down that line
And it’s been so long
But I will be there
I sing this song
To pass the time away
Driving in my car
Driving home for christmas

It’s gonna take some time
But I’ll get there
Top to toe in tailbacks
Oh, I got red lights on the run
But soon there’ll be a freeway
Get my feet on holy ground

So I sing for you
Though you can’t hear me
When

Do thay know it’s Christmas?

(B. Geldof)

It’s Christmas time; there’s no need to be afraid
At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time
But say a prayer to pray for the other ones
At Christmas time

It’s hard, but when you’re having fun
There’s a world outside your window
And it’s a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears

And the Christmas bells that ring there
Are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you
And there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas time

The greatest gift they’ll get this year is life
Oh, where nothing ever grows, no rain or rivers flow
Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?

Here’s to you, raise a glass for ev’ryone
Here’s to them, underneath that burning sun
Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?

Feed the world
Feed the world

Feed the world
Let them know it’s Christmas time again
Feed the world
Let them know it’s Christmas time again