Uploaded by IsDePanInMe
By Shadow
Parrandero with their guitar and their cuatro and their bass
And them pretty señorita with their laughter on their face
When them cuatro start to rattle, is like angels coming down
When they pass around the bottle, time to take another one.
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
María, María, María! The old fellah start to pray
María, María, María! I hope they doh come by me
María, María, María! Not a thing in mih house
María, María, María! Is mih neighbour give me some souse
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet.
When they eat they ham and bread and the liquor in their head
And the cuatro sounding sweeter like if sugar in their finger
Then they coming down the sweet and they sounding double sweet
Then they reach down by the pole, the old man peeping through a hole.
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
María, María, María! The old fellah start to pray
María, María, María! I hope they doh come by me
María, María, María! Not a thing in mih house
María, María, María! Is the neighbour give me some souse
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet.
Merry Christmas everybody! Merry Christmas everybody!
Merry Christmas every mother! Merry Christmas every father!
Merry Christmas little children!
May the good lord bless and keep them
Pass the whiskey and the plate, this is time to celebrate
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
María, María, María! The old fellah start to pray
María, María, María! I hope they doh drink mauby
María, María, María! Not a thing in mih house
María, María, María! Is the neighbour give me some souse
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet.
Early, early Christmas morning while a certain cock was crowing
All them hen [men?] down in La Puerta, see them running helter-skelter
Not a chicken in the nest, they know man love chicken breast
So they hiding in the grass, they want to wait 'til Christmas pass.
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
María, María, María! The old fellah start to pray
María, María, María! I hope they doh come by me
María, María, María! Not a thing in mih house
María, María, María! Is mih neighbour give me some souse
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet
Christmas nice, Christmas sweet.
Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance.
..............................................................................................................................
A Note From The Gull
Thank you, Shadow!
Is Christmas nice? This song is making me think twice.
I listened a few times with a fascination that only increased as I became convinced that there is a whole lot more that I wanted to find in it. I love Shadow's music and I have commented elsewhere on its mystical quality which finds its perfect camouflage in the apparent simplicity of the beat and the themes which he employs.
Is Christmas nice? This song is making me think twice.
I listened a few times with a fascination that only increased as I became convinced that there is a whole lot more that I wanted to find in it. I love Shadow's music and I have commented elsewhere on its mystical quality which finds its perfect camouflage in the apparent simplicity of the beat and the themes which he employs.
Shadow is singing a song about Christmas and parang and he is making no attempt to dance to the beat of the little drummer boy. This is original Shadow impishness with only the vaguest of Christmas patinas applied. The signature Shadow beat is there, the simplicity of the verses and the almost curt kick-it-down-the-hill-and-let-gravity-or-the-universal-heartbeat-take-it delivery. But why do I get the feeling that this is a complaint? Is he singing a Christmas song because he really wants to share the Christmas spirit or because he is unable to resist the temptation to comment on the dissolution which characterises many of the activities and much of the music associated with this season? Is his "Christmas nice, Christmas sweet!" soaked with bitter irony because Christmas is anything but nice or sweet for the sufferers among us whose cupboards are bare?
There is something discordant about this song and I cannot put my finger on what is causing it. I cannot move beyond Shadow's anything but melodious invocation of "Maria, Maria, Maria!!" Is it the cry of the distressed voice of penury under the duress of the sometimes crippling demands of a season that is out of control?
Finally, the lines which are not at all humourous for those who find unbearable the mass slaughter of animals especially at festivals like Christmas:
There is something discordant about this song and I cannot put my finger on what is causing it. I cannot move beyond Shadow's anything but melodious invocation of "Maria, Maria, Maria!!" Is it the cry of the distressed voice of penury under the duress of the sometimes crippling demands of a season that is out of control?
Finally, the lines which are not at all humourous for those who find unbearable the mass slaughter of animals especially at festivals like Christmas:
"Not a chicken in the nest, they know man love chicken breast
So they hiding in the grass, they want to wait 'til Christmas pass."
Trinbagonian Hindus and others who observe vegetarianism as spiritual practice, should be invited to share their beliefs [and recipes] with their omnivorous countrymen. Three of the ancient religions which originated in India - Hinudism, Jainism and Buddhism, all encourage vegetarianism. Wouldn't it be interesting to find out why?
Not too long ago there was a huge outcry in the homeland about the consumption of canine flesh and very few saw the irony. Now that the moratorium on hunting is over, there have been several reports about the butchery that is going on with the wild creatures. And again, the irony is that butchery on an even larger scale is continually going on to produce the slabs of flesh laid out on counters and freezers in our markets and groceries.
Animals are beautiful. They have intelligence. They take care of their children just like us. They have demonstrated that they also are capable of feeling great devotion towards their own and towards us. Just like us they are tormented to insanity by imprisonment and unnatural living conditions. Just like us they are sickened by bad food and drugs. Just like us they also feel terror and pain. If you have from time to time felt a doubt about this knocking at your heart, let it in and give it attention. Always question.
You cannot be blamed for how you were raised but now that you have been given the baton, you can find new trails. Let us give ourselves and the animals a break.
Not too long ago there was a huge outcry in the homeland about the consumption of canine flesh and very few saw the irony. Now that the moratorium on hunting is over, there have been several reports about the butchery that is going on with the wild creatures. And again, the irony is that butchery on an even larger scale is continually going on to produce the slabs of flesh laid out on counters and freezers in our markets and groceries.
Animals are beautiful. They have intelligence. They take care of their children just like us. They have demonstrated that they also are capable of feeling great devotion towards their own and towards us. Just like us they are tormented to insanity by imprisonment and unnatural living conditions. Just like us they are sickened by bad food and drugs. Just like us they also feel terror and pain. If you have from time to time felt a doubt about this knocking at your heart, let it in and give it attention. Always question.
You cannot be blamed for how you were raised but now that you have been given the baton, you can find new trails. Let us give ourselves and the animals a break.
Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.
Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare
0 comments:
Post a Comment