Greg Lake’s I Believe In Father Christmas was originally recorded and released in 1975 and was later released on the Emerson, Lake & Palmer album Works, Vol II.
The music is by Lake, with lyrics by Peter Sinfield. The arrangement also quotes the Troika portion of Sergei Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé Suite, at the suggestion of Keith Emerson.
Lyrics:
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 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
And they told me a fairy story
‘Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked to the sky with excited eyes
‘Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and 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
The BEST and most cynical song about Christmas and all it’s associated crap ever… love, love, love it.
this would be a great record to play on your new $20,000 turntable from Eno
Great tune, but I prefer the later-released “Works Vol 2” version over this “choir/orchestra adorned” one presented here. Also wish they hadn’t delayed/double-tracked his vocals, but those are only minor quibbles…it’s still one of my faves for Christmas. Also worth looking up is a live version he did with Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) playing flute. His voice is a little older and a little rougher, but it’s still quite nice.
Bless the late Greg Lake, who died shortly after Emerson.