Overheard at Table 1: The Kinks' "Father Christmas"

I had forgotten about this little gem - about a department store Santa who gets rolled over by poor street urchin in a 20th century version of a Dickensian Christmas.

Here's a video on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xEopHCtEUo&feature=related

The sound quality is good, video quality not so much, but it's a good watch anyway.


Lyrics:
When I was small I believed in Santa Claus
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at Christmas
Open my presents and I'd be glad

But the last time I played Father Christmas
I stood outside a department store
A gang of kids came over and mugged me
And knocked my reindeer to the floor

They said:
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys.
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Don't give my brother a Steve Austin outfit
Don't give my sister a cuddly toy
We don't want a jigsaw or monopoly money
We only want the real McCoy

Father Christmas, give us some money
We'll beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys

But give my daddy a job 'cause he needs one
He's got lots of mouths to feed
But if you've got one, I'll have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids down the street

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Have yourself a merry merry Christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin'
While you're drinkin' down your wine

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Father Christmas, please hand it over
We'll beat you up, so don't make us annoyed

Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys




What makes this an excellent Christmas song is because it portrays the emotions that many kids feel at Christmas, and I especially love the line "give my dad a job" because here are kids rolling this fake Santa, and right at that moment, there is the hint, the barest hint, of belief. The desire to believe that there is some magic in the world.

Definitely more powerful a song than it presents itself to be.