Have you ever listened to the lyrics of a favorite song... I mean REALLY listened to them and realized it's not about what you thought?
Let me preface this by saying that this really IS my favorite Xmoose song. Especially when Bare Naked Ladies sings it with beautiful harmonies. (really as far as Bare Naked Ladies is concerned, the entire album is fantastic! I highly recommend it for all your holiday gatherings)
Clanging Chimes of Doom
Many years ago, I was listening to Xmoose music and 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' came on.
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| Man! The 80's were rough. Even when feeding the world they didn't look too happy about it. :) |
You know? The one recorded by Band Aid in '84 to raise money for Africa relief? Now I was raised in the 80's and 90's. I've heard this song every year around this time for my ENTIRE life.
However, it wasn't until about 7 years ago that I really listed to the words. What caught me first was the sudden realization that this song said "clanging chimes of doom". I turned to my co-worker and said "did they just say 'clanging chimes of doom'?" She gave a noncommital 'I don't know, who cares' shrug and head tilt.
I couldn't accept it. I made us listen to Xmoose music everyday all day long just so I could hear it again. No. I didn't think to look up the lyrics online... I think this was before I realized things like song lyrics WERE online. I'm computer savvy but I think my understanding of the scope of the internet may have been delayed :) Moving on.
I heard it several times over the next few days. Each time hearing another great Christmas phrase like, 'bitter sting of tears' and 'world of dread and fear'. My next favorite part of this song was how we were SO thankful that this pitiful and obviously god-forsaken existence was happening to someone else and not you. I mean, we can send them money... and we should. But "THANK GOD it's them instead of you".
Now, through all this love and money and assistance we're sending to Africa the best part was the message of a single line: "the greatest gift they'll get this year is life". The first time I heard this line and by heard I mean really heard it, I thought, what greater gift is there? Is life not enough? I was appalled by the Music industries ability to turn a starving country into an advertisement for more presents. Now, years have gone by and I have come to understand that the line is probably referring to the fact that our monetary assistance was providing life and thus giving them the greatest gift. Unfortunately, my mind just can't let go of that initial realization.
Now my biggest beef with this Christmas song is actually much more spiritual. So if you don't want to hear (read) it. Stop now. It's OK, I wont be offended...
K. If you're this far its cause you want to be here. Welcome.
"Do they know it's christmas time at all?"
This line posed a very spiritual Xmoose question for me those many years ago. DO they know it's christmas time? Why should they HAVE to know? What if not knowing about christmas is a perfectly happy existence for them? What if they don't care that it's christmas? Why do we have to tell them? It's a rhetorical question. I know why (southern baptists taught me why for most of my childhood)... I don't believe why but I know. I don't agree with why, but I know. So we go and bring all the money and food, just cause it's christmas time and that's when we care... what then? When christmas is over and we go back to our lives, what about Africa? I wonder what came of this campaign. Maybe one day I'll look into the statistics and numbers on the funds raised and donated by this song and how long of an impact they had on Africa at christmas... and after.
But for now. I'm content to listen to my favorite Xmoose song because it fills me with happy yule tide greetings every time I hear
"clanging chimes of doom".
ING
!jen
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