A Christmas Song for 2021

Rather late, a seasonal song. I record one most years, usually a version of a traditional Christmas song such as “In the Black Midwinter” or “Love Came Down at Christmas”. This year I decided to revisit my Pandemic Dirge™ from last summer, retooled as a Pandemic Christmas Dirge. Enjoy!

If you enjoy (!) this one, previous years’ songs can be found at martincolyer.com

A peal of bells
And north wind swells
Carry Christmas through the land
But a plague’s abroad
A threatened sword
Puts paid to all our plans

A grave new world
Its flag unfurled
And summoned on a storm
Makes Christmas bleak
Its promise weak,
wrapped in a wreath of thorns

A chill’s been here
But don’t you fear
We’ve made it through before
Kindness found
And duty bound
Will cause the frost to thaw

A peal of bells
And north wind swells
Carry Christmas through the land
But a plague’s abroad
A threatened sword
Puts paid to all our plans

So hold your friends
To family tend
And think of more clement climes
This too shall pass
So fill the glass
And toast to better times

Extra! A Christmas Song

Normally, at this point of the year, I’d post a cover of a traditional Christmas song that I like. This year, however, I couldn’t find something that I felt like doing, so I looked through my back catalogue (!) and found something Christmas-centric. Eight years on I finished it off. Featuring David Miles on bass, and a list of the randomest place names I could find (that rhymed), here is “(I’m Trying to Make it) Home for Christmas”.

Baby, I’m writing you, just to tell you that I love you,
And I’m really trying hard to come home for Christmas.
Baby, I’m trav’ling from the Eastside to the West
And it’s a long winter’s march to get back home for Christmas.
… and it’s cold outside

Oh I might be in Kyiv or Tuscumbia
Carmarthen or Nepal
Wherever the hell I am in this world
I’m trying to make it home for Christmas…
I’m trying to make it home for Christmas…

Baby, I’m calling you, just to tell you that I love you,
And I’m really trying hard to come home for Christmas

Well I might be in Dubai or Columbia
Kandahar or St. Paul
Wherever the hell I am on this earth
I’m trying to make it home for Christmas…
I’m trying to make it home for Christmas…

You can find the other Christmas Songs here.

Monday, December 24th

A Christmas Song for all the readers of Five Things…


The book of Five Things is available from Amazon here.

Front Cover

“He writes with the insight of someone who has inhabited the world of the professional musician but also with the infectious enthusiasm of someone who is a fan like anyone of us. It’s entertaining and inspiring in equal measure.” – from an Amazon review by Zuma

“What a treat! And it has the years before I discovered your blog…” – Dan Franklin, Publisher

“A terrific book, stuffed to the gills with snippets of news items and observations all with a musical theme, pulled together by the watchful eye of Martin Colyer… lovingly compiled, rammed with colour photos and interesting stories. Colyer has a good ear for a tune, an eye for the out-of-ordinary and he can write a bit too.” – Steve Carr, everyrecordtellsastory.com

“I’ve been dipping with huge enjoyment since it arrived” – James Walton, writer and presenter of Radio 4’s books quiz, The Write Stuff, and the R4 pop quiz All the Way from Memphis.

%d bloggers like this: