Good King Wenceslas

Ok, what's up with this song? Who's Good King Wenceslas, and what's the Feast of Stephen? Why do we sing this at Christmas time??

John Mason Neale wrote this carol and it was published in 1853. King Wenceslas was Václav, Duke of Bohemia from 921-935 AD. He was apparently a good Christian and is the Saint of the Czech Republic. The carol is based on a legend surrounding Wenceslas that his footsteps generated heat and helped his page to keep going on the journey to help the peasant.

The Feast of Stephen (St. Stephen's Day) is celebrated in honor of Saint Stephen on December 26. It's close proximity to Christmas day has made it a common song at Christmastime.

Good King Wenceslas - Words by John Mason Neale

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."

Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."

"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed

Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

Christmas Songs

This week I'll be posting the lyrics and history behind various Christmas songs. I love Christmas music! It is so majestic and joyful! I'll listen to Christmas music periodically throughout the year, just cause it's so awesome.

If you have a song you'd like ot know more about, let me know and I'll see what I can find.

Movies!

Check out this website that a friend of mine runs. He has blogs and podcasts discussing movies from a Christian perspective. Good stuff. It's called More Than One Lesson.

It's called Christmas!

The song says it all. Merry Christmas!

Read this one too: http://memo2self.blogspot.com/2009/12/its-because-of-christmas.html

Christmas with a Capital "C" - Go Fish

Well I went to the coffee shop to get myself a Mocha,

The lady at the counter said "Happy holidays";

I said, "Thanks lady, I am pretty happy,

But there’s only one holiday that makes me feel that way."

It’s called Christmas, what more can I say?

It’s about the birth of Christ

and you can’t take that away.

You can call it something else,

but that’s not what it will be.

It’s called Christmas with a capital "C."

God's got a law and we pretty much destroyed it.

We’re gonna get judged, there’s no way to avoid it.

But Jesus came down to take the punishment for me.

He did it for you too, so maybe you can see . . .

Why It’s called Christmas, what more can I say?

It’s about the birth of Christ

and you can’t take that away.

You can call it something else,

but that’s not what it will be.

It’s called Christmas with a capital "C."

It’s called Christmas!

(oh, yes we want to say happy holidays because we don’t want to leave anybody out, really, how come there’s a bunch of holidays in February but no one says happy holidays then, they say what it is, “happy valentines day- OOH do you believe in love?”)

It’s called Christmas!

(but no body wants to say christmas,everything but Christmas, why I know why, you do too, it’s because it’s got Christ in it and after thousands of years he’s still intimidating people, you see when a religious figure says “I am the way” people don’t wanna hear it.)

It’s called Christmas!

( I say you gotta say merry Christmas cuz it is! and if you don’t believe in it fine, but i got a flash for you, Christianity happens to be the religious heritage of my country whether you like it or not.)

It’s called Christmas!

(so if you’re not Christian or you don’t like it, and you don’t want Christmas to be celebrated, well then God Bless You, but if you’re think you’re gonna stop me from sayin it because it offends you, i gotta flash for you, Put a helmet on, cuz it’s my country too.)

It’s called Christmas, what more can I say?

It’s about the birth of Christ

and you can’t take that away.

You can call it something else,

but that’s not what it will be.

It’s called Christmas with a capital "C”

Nothing Left To Lose

DRUMS!!!

U2.com Live on YouTube. This Sunday.

I can't believe the news today: U2 Live on YouTube. This Sunday.

U2 have confirmed via video blog that their sold-out concert at the Pasadena
Rose Bowl in California, this Sunday, 25th October, will be streamed free, in
full and live on YouTube. It's the first time a show of this size will be
streamed live.

The Rose Bowl show is the penultimate U2 show this year -
with more to come in 2010 - and already is set to host the venue's biggest ever
audience of over 96,000 fans. The 360° Tour, which has been critically acclaimed
and 're-invents rock'n'roll' (Rolling Stone Magazine), will now boast unique
access for fans worldwide - as fans in territories yet to be visited by the
tour, or not at all, will be able to enjoy the whole show online.

Can you guess what I'll be doing on Sunday?


Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
I can't believe the news today
I can't close my eyes and make it go away.
How long, how long must we sing this song?
How long, how long?
'Cos tonight
We can be as one, tonight.

Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead-end street.
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up, puts my back up against the wall.

Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Oh, let's go.

And the battle's just begun
There's many lost, but tell me who has won?
The trenches dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters
Torn apart.

Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Sunday, bloody Sunday.

How long, how long must we sing this song?
How long, how long?
'Cos tonight
We can be as one, tonight.
Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Sunday, bloody Sunday.

Wipe the tears from your eyes
Wipe your tears away.
I'll wipe your tears away.
I'll wipe your tears away.
I'll wipe your bloodshot eyes.
Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Sunday, bloody Sunday.

And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality.
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die.

The real battle just begun
To claim the victory Jesus won
On...

Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday..