I thought: I haven't written a one-off Humbug song about Christmas for quite a while now...so...
lyrics
THEY PROMISED US A KING WE HAD A BABY
WE WEREN’T THAT DISAPPOINTED, JUST SURPRISED
WE LAID OUR LITTLE BABY IN THE MANGER
WE THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD DISGUISE.
SOME SHEPHERD’S CAME TO SEE US FROM THE NIGHT SHIFT
THEY WENT BACK TO THE FACTORY, MYSTIFIED
SOME WISE MEN CAME & WENT OFF NONE THE WISER
SOME SOLDIERS CAME & ALL THE YOUNG BOYS DIED
A WINTER’S TALE
THEY PROMISED THERE’D BE PEACE, WE GOT A CEASE FIRE
THE SOLDIERS PUT THEIR KNIVES DOWN ONCE A YEAR
TO BE HONEST, BEING CAMOUFLAGED AS A BABY
IN RETROSPECT, WAS NOT A GREAT IDEA.
THE WISE MEN GAVE US MIRRORS, BEADS & TIK TOK
IN ANSWER TO OUR LOST & LONELY PRAYERS
NOW IT’S HARD TO TELL THESE DAYS WHO’S REALLY CRAZY
EVERYBODY’S SHOUTING AT SOMEONE WHO ISN’T THERE.
A WINTER’S TALE
THEY PROMISED US A KING, WE HAD A BABY
HIS MOTHER WASN’T PLEASED IT WAS A GIRL
A GIRL IS ONLY GOOD FOR MAKING BABIES
HIS MOTHER SAID IT’S MEN WHO MAKE THE WORLD.
HIS SISTER HANNAH, SHE’S JUST HAD HER THIRD SON, SHE SAID
IF YOU COULD HAVE A BOY WE’D BE SO THRILLED
I LAID MY DAUGHTER GENTLY IN HER MANGER
WHEN THE SOLDIERS CAME & ALL THE BOYS WERE KILLED.
THEY PROMISED US A KING, WE GOT A BABY
THEY PROMISED US THE EARTH, WE GOT THE SEA
THEY PROMISED US THE LIGHT, WE GOT A CANDLE
& THAT WAS IT, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE.
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