mY xMas iPod uPdated

In the spirit of Desert Island Discs, I present a list of my Lowly Cattle Shed Discs for the holiday season. In other words, if I were stuck in some miserable, dung-filled shack on Christmas Eve with a pregnant woman, these are the tunes I'd be listening to.

Traditional: I Saw Three Ships
I've always wondered about this song because, I mean, so you saw three ships come sailing by on Christmas day in the morning. Big deal. Who the hell cares. I saw a bowl of figs and a moldy tangerine on Christmas day in the morning but I don't go writing high-pitched songs about it, do I?

Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych: The Carol of the Bells
Quasimodo's least famous Christmas carol. Interesting tune, but for some reason it sounds to me like the background music for someone going insane.

Traditional: The Holly and Ivy
A great carol because despite the title and chorus the verses don't mention ivy at all. Not one word about the ivy! The actual lyrics are all about holly! Should have just been called "The Holly" if you ask me.

Peter Warlock: Bethlehem Down
Rather depressing tune to traditional words written by a suicide whose real name was Philip Heseltine. He was caricatured by Aldous Huxley in 'Antic Hay' and described in Anthony Powell's memoirs as "mephistolean". Bethlehem Down? Well, the song certainly doesn't bring you "up" that's for sure.

The Fall: No Xmas For John Quays
Over a cacaphonic background of poorly played instruments, Mark E. Smith delivers his seasonal harangue about a man in room with needle in his arm not receiving any Yuletide comfort or joy. Available on the CD called "Totale's Turns." There's another song called "Choc Stock" on the album, which, although it's not about Christmas, is about chocolate.

John Mason Neale: Good King Wenceslas
Mentions the "Feast of Stephen" which is obviously the best kind of feast you can celebrate. But otherwise has little to recommend it.

William Dix: What Child Is This?
It's Jesus, you fool. What child did you think it was for Christsakes!?!

In the spirit of Desert Island Discs, I present a list of my Lowly Cattle Shed Discs for the holiday season. In other words, if I were stuck in some miserable, dung-filled shack on Christmas Eve with a pregnant woman, these are the tunes I'd be listening to.

Traditional: I Saw Three Ships
I've always wondered about this song because, I mean, so you saw three ships come sailing by on Christmas day in the morning. Big deal. Who the hell cares. I saw a bowl of figs and a moldy tangerine on Christmas day in the morning but I don't go writing high-pitched songs about it, do I?

Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych: The Carol of the Bells
Quasimodo's least famous Christmas carol. Interesting tune, but for some reason it sounds to me like the background music for someone going insane.

Traditional: The Holly and Ivy
A great carol because despite the title and chorus the verses don't mention ivy at all. Not one word about the ivy! The actual lyrics are all about holly! Should have just been called "The Holly" if you ask me.

Peter Warlock: Bethlehem Down
Rather depressing tune to traditional words written by a suicide whose real name was Philip Heseltine. He was caricatured by Aldous Huxley in 'Antic Hay' and described in Anthony Powell's memoirs as "mephistolean". Bethlehem Down? Well, the song certainly doesn't bring you "up" that's for sure.

The Fall: No Xmas For John Quays
Over a cacaphonic background of poorly played instruments, Mark E. Smith delivers his seasonal harangue about a man in room with needle in his arm not receiving any Yuletide comfort or joy. Available on the CD called "Totale's Turns." There's another song called "Choc Stock" on the album, which, although it's not about Christmas, is about chocolate.

John Mason Neale: Good King Wenceslas
Mentions the "Feast of Stephen" which is obviously the best kind of feast you can celebrate. But otherwise has little to recommend it.

William Dix: What Child Is This?
It's Jesus, you fool. What child did you think it was for Christsakes!?!

Comments

[Carter]

Actually if you saw three ships sailing into Bethlehem that would be a big deal:

http://www.lifeofchrist.com/history/maps/birthmap.asp

[stephenesque]

One must assume that the three ships in question are transport for the three kings of Orient. I suppose it just sounds better than "I saw three camels go trotting by."

[Carter]

That would make sense, but according to the lyrics:

"And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day in the morning."

Obviously what happened is that Jesus came across the desert into Bethlehem by ship in the morning so he could later that evening be born in a Bethlehem manger.

[stephenesque]

In other words, the "I" of the song is some sort of prophetic visionary?
Yes, that would make sense. Especially since there were apparently so many of them around back then.