God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / House of the Rising Sun.mp3
A song about the downtrodden and our hope, faith and charity.
The first time I recorded a version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, I was just learning what the song meant. The time was right after 9/11. As I started to look into the song, I found it was an Old English Carol about the downtrodden. Then, a new mate from England wrote me and said:
Merry in the Old English of this carol did not mean “Happy” it meant “Mighty” or “Powerful” (Think Robin Hood’s Merry Men – They weren’t happy because they were wearing tights… you know… they were a powerful fighting unit) The word “Rest” in the Old English also meant to invest a property in… or in other words to “make”.
So the first line of the carol in modern English would be “God Make You Mighty Gentlemen” Similarly the term “Merry Christmas” means have a “Powerful” Christmas. Kind of gives the phrase a whole new meaning doesn’t it?
Since then, I started to learn about the song “House of the Rising Son”. It turns out this, also, may be an Old English Traditional song (that USA blues guys adapted.) Coincidentally, it is also a song about the downtrodden. Both songs are about redemption… faith, hope and charity.
The video is a combination of man’s sins with God’s glory fading in and out.
Am
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
F E
Let nothing you dismay
Am
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
F E
Was born on Christmas day
Dm C
To save us all from Satan's power
Am G
When we were gone astray
C E Am
O tidings of comfort and joy,
G
Comfort and joy
C E Am
O tidings of comfort and joy
Am
From God our Heavenly Father
F E
A blessed Angel came;
Am
And unto certain Shepherds
F E
Brought tidings of the same:
Dm C
How that in Bethlehem was born
Am G
The Son of God by Name.
C E Am
O tidings of comfort and joy,
G
Comfort and joy
C E Am
O tidings of comfort and joy
Am
And when they came to Bethlehem
F E
Where our dear Saviour lay,
Am
They found Him in a manger,
F E
Where oxen feed on hay;
Dm C
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Am G
Unto the Lord did pray.
C E Am
O tidings of comfort and joy,
G
Comfort and joy
C E Am
O tidings of comfort and joy
Am
Now to the Lord sing praises,
F E
All you within this place,
Am
And with true love and brotherhood
F E
Each other now embrace;
Dm C
This holy tide of Christmas
Am G
All other doth deface.
C E Am
O tidings of comfort and joy,
G
Comfort and joy
C E Am
O tidings of comfort and joy
ABOUT THE SONG
Style: ExperiMental Music
Recording: 4-track digital stereo
Daniel — Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Synthesizers and an Alesis Vortex controller to Albeton software (microKorg, Yamaha PSR-740, Casio WK-3500, miniNova, and a couple pedals)
From the album That Time Of Year
by Daniel Brouse