Unusual Rock and Roll Christmas Songs (7)

For our last "unusual" Christmas rock tune we go back to 1974 when Greg Lake took a break from buddies Emerson and Palmer to record a song he'd written protesting the commercialism of Christmas.

I Believe In Father Christmas was apparently misinterpreted as being anti-religious and Lake was surprised by it's success. The song shot to #2 in 1975 and is Lake's only hit solo release.

ELP later recorded the song for their 1977 album Works Volume II.

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's 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 at 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 you get you deserve.

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