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capri0mniFor a few years now, I've been wanting to write a darker version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" -- one that reflects the Yule Gift-Giver's origins as leader of the Wild Hunt, and his associations with spirits and the dead (from the 15th-18th centuries, Old Christmas looked a lot like New Halloween) . A fuller discussion of this can be found in this thread: Pagan thoughts on 'Santa Claus'.
I used the first four lines of "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" to come up with the melody -- to give the rhythm a sense of forward movement and energy (And for a private sense of irony). But It's still a work in process; I'm not happy with the fourth verse. Rather than simply giving a lump of coal if you've been bad, I'd rather 'Old' Nicholas put you in his sack and take you away (which, was, indeed, a threat from the old days). I'm still working out how to fit that idea into rhyming couplets of anapestic tetrameter... If any of you have suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them!
To hear the tune, copy and paste this bold text:
X:1
T:Bells on the wind
M:4/4
Q:1/4=105
K:Db
B,B,E2EEG2|GGE2DEG2|GGD2DDE2|EEG2EDE2|-EGB2BBA2|
AAG2EGA2|GGE2EED2|B,DG2EDE2|-EE2DB,D3|G2EDE4|
GGE2EED2|B,DG2EDE2|-E7/4||
into the text window at Concertina's Tune-O-Tron: Converter, and hit submit. Important: You'll have to turn off your pop-up blockers for the site to work.
Bells on the Wind
by Ann Magill
Oh, the garlands are hung and the candles shine bright,
and we're gathered together on this joyful night.
In moments of quiet, if you will attend,
you will hear the glad ringing of bells on the wind
(Bells on the wind, bells on the wind)
You will hear the glad ringing of bells on the wind.
From his home far away, wild Nicholas flies,
and his whoops, and his hollers, they ring through the sky.
He's calling his coursers to speed on their way
With their hooves and horns flash-ing as they pull his sleigh.
(They pull his sleigh, they pull his sleigh)
With their hooves and horns flashing as they pull his sleigh.
Yes, old Nicholas laughs as he flies through the air,
for he's bringing the treasures he's gathered all year.
The gifts that he brings, oh, you know that it's true:
They reveal all the secrets he knows about you
(Knows about you, knows about you)
They reveal all the secrets he knows about you.
Oh, if you have been generous, and you've been kind,
then the gifts that he brings will delight heart and mind.
But if you've been miserly, if you've been cruel
Oh, then he will leave naught but the blackest of coal.
(Blackest of coal, blackest of coal)
Oh, then he will leave naught but the blackest of coal.
Oh, the garlands are hung and the candles shine bright,
and we're gathered together on this joyful night.
In moments of quiet, if you will attend,
you will hear the glad ringing of bells on the wind
(Bells on the wind, bells on the wind)
You will hear the glad ringing of bells on the wind.
[edit]: Okay, how is this as a fourth verse?
Oh, if you have been generous, and you've done right,
then the gifts that he brings, they will be a delight.
But if you are mean, and do not share your worth
He will sweep you away to the dark, frozen North
(Dark frozen North, dark frozen North)
He will sweep you a-way to the dark, frozen North.
I like it, but then again, I am wierd...
I used the first four lines of "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" to come up with the melody -- to give the rhythm a sense of forward movement and energy (And for a private sense of irony). But It's still a work in process; I'm not happy with the fourth verse. Rather than simply giving a lump of coal if you've been bad, I'd rather 'Old' Nicholas put you in his sack and take you away (which, was, indeed, a threat from the old days). I'm still working out how to fit that idea into rhyming couplets of anapestic tetrameter... If any of you have suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them!
To hear the tune, copy and paste this bold text:
X:1
T:Bells on the wind
M:4/4
Q:1/4=105
K:Db
B,B,E2EEG2|GGE2DEG2|GGD2DDE2|EEG2EDE2|-EGB2BBA2|
AAG2EGA2|GGE2EED2|B,DG2EDE2|-EE2DB,D3|G2EDE4|
GGE2EED2|B,DG2EDE2|-E7/4||
into the text window at Concertina's Tune-O-Tron: Converter, and hit submit. Important: You'll have to turn off your pop-up blockers for the site to work.
Bells on the Wind
by Ann Magill
Oh, the garlands are hung and the candles shine bright,
and we're gathered together on this joyful night.
In moments of quiet, if you will attend,
you will hear the glad ringing of bells on the wind
(Bells on the wind, bells on the wind)
You will hear the glad ringing of bells on the wind.
From his home far away, wild Nicholas flies,
and his whoops, and his hollers, they ring through the sky.
He's calling his coursers to speed on their way
With their hooves and horns flash-ing as they pull his sleigh.
(They pull his sleigh, they pull his sleigh)
With their hooves and horns flashing as they pull his sleigh.
Yes, old Nicholas laughs as he flies through the air,
for he's bringing the treasures he's gathered all year.
The gifts that he brings, oh, you know that it's true:
They reveal all the secrets he knows about you
(Knows about you, knows about you)
They reveal all the secrets he knows about you.
Oh, if you have been generous, and you've been kind,
then the gifts that he brings will delight heart and mind.
But if you've been miserly, if you've been cruel
Oh, then he will leave naught but the blackest of coal.
(Blackest of coal, blackest of coal)
Oh, then he will leave naught but the blackest of coal.
Oh, the garlands are hung and the candles shine bright,
and we're gathered together on this joyful night.
In moments of quiet, if you will attend,
you will hear the glad ringing of bells on the wind
(Bells on the wind, bells on the wind)
You will hear the glad ringing of bells on the wind.
[edit]: Okay, how is this as a fourth verse?
Oh, if you have been generous, and you've done right,
then the gifts that he brings, they will be a delight.
But if you are mean, and do not share your worth
He will sweep you away to the dark, frozen North
(Dark frozen North, dark frozen North)
He will sweep you a-way to the dark, frozen North.
I like it, but then again, I am wierd...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-12-13 12:20 pm (UTC)The Tune-A-Tron device is cool too...Thanks for telling us about it.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-13 12:31 pm (UTC)And I'm glad the song gave you chills. That's exactly the effect I was going for.
Now, roll that sleave back down. There's a north wind blowing through. ;->
no subject
Date: 2004-12-13 12:35 pm (UTC)*nods
Date: 2004-12-13 12:56 pm (UTC)Re: *nods
Date: 2004-12-13 01:00 pm (UTC)A tutorial page on ABC notation:
Date: 2004-12-13 02:19 pm (UTC)How to interpret abc music notation (http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abc_notation.htm)
no subject
Date: 2004-12-13 12:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-13 12:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-13 05:36 pm (UTC)Thank you.
Date: 2004-12-13 06:36 pm (UTC)Re: Thank you.
Date: 2004-12-14 04:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-14 03:40 am (UTC)