"Deck the Halls" (original English title: "Deck the Hall") is a traditional Yuletide and New Years' carol. The "fa-la-la" refrains were probably originally played on the harp. The tune is Welsh dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, Nos Galan. In the eighteenth century Mozart used the tune to "Deck the Halls" for a violin and piano duet. The repeated "fa la la" is from medieval ballads and used in Nos Galan, the remaining lyrics are American in origin dating from the nineteenth century.[1][2]
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Lyrics
Note that the lines of the first two versions were not exclusive of one another and were often interchanged without preference. Various other versions remove or replace certain Fa la la lines with harp melodies. Sometimes the third, "New Year", version is a follow up.
Alternate version "Deck the Hall"
Note: in this version the third line of "Fa la la" is sometimes interpreted as "Fa, la la la, fa la la la" (Refer to Carols for Choirs 3) |
Welsh Translation "New Year's Eve" or "Cold is the Man"
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History
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The tune is that of an old Welsh air, first found in a musical manuscript by Welsh harpist John Parry Ddall (c. 1710–1782), but undoubtedly much older than that. The composition is still popular as a dance tune in Wales, and was published in the 1784 and 1794 editions of the harpist Edward Jones's Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards. Poet John Ceiriog Hughes wrote the first published lyrics for the piece in Welsh, titling it "Nos Galan" ("New Year's Eve"). A middle verse was later added by folk singers. In the eighteenth century the tune spread widely, with Mozart using it in a piano and violin concerto and, later, Haydn in the song "New Year's Night."
Originally, carols were dances and not songs. The accompanying tune would have been used as a setting for any verses of appropriate metre. Singers would compete with each other, verse for verse — known as canu penillion dull y De ("singing verses in the southern style"). The church actively opposed these folk dances. Consequently, tunes originally used to accompany carols became separated from the original dances, but were still referred to as "carols". The popular English lyrics for this carol are not a translation from the Welsh. The connection with dancing is made explicit in the English lyrics by the phrase "follow me in merry measure" as "measure" is a synonym for dance. A collection of such sixteenth and seventeenth century dances danced at the Inns of Court in London are called the Old Measures. Dancing itself having been previously suppressed by the church was revived during the renaissance beginning in fifteenth century Italy .
During the Victorian re-invention of Christmas it was turned into a traditional English Christmas song. The first English version appeared in The Franklin Square Song Collection, edited by J.P.McCaskey in 1881. See here for a more detailed summary of what various sources say about its history.
Parodies and Commercial Adaptations
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (December 2009) |
- "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as part of the Disney Sing Along Songs series includes this song, but the latter verses are different.
- ...All our friends are here bestowing,
- Fa la la la la, la la la la.
- Gifts for stockings overflowing.
- Fa la la la la, la la la la.
- Sharing warmth of yuletide embers
- Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
- Joys that everyone remembers.
- Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
- Stockings filled with gifts, surprises,
- Fa la la la la, la la la la.
- Wrapped in many shapes and sizes.
- Fa la la la la, la la la la.
- Around the tree abundant treasures,
- Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
- Celebrate the season's pleasures.
- Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
- The comic strip Pogo by Walt Kelly often had the characters singing nonsense lyrics to the song, which otherwise fit in terms of rhyme and meter:
- Deck us all with Boston Charlie
- Walla Walla, Wash., and Kalamazoo!
- Nora's freezin' on the trolley
- Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!
- Don't we know archaic barrel
- Lullaby Lilla Boy, Louisville Lou?
- Trolley Molly don't love Harold
- Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!
- A version of the song spoofed Hillary Clinton's typical clothing choice, a blue pantsuit. "Deck the Pantsuit with blue buttons" was once sung to Senator Clinton as she campaigned in Iowa in December 2007 for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
- The line "Don we now our gay apparel" has led to obvious visual jokes about cross-dressing, the usage of the term "gay" having shifted over the centuries. A famous cartoon in Playboy magazine shows a man singing the line while donning a woman's dress.
- A version sung in Springfield, Pennsylvania in 1970, penned by Clifton Siple contained the lyrics:
- Deck the halls with marijuana, fa la la la la, la la la la
- Tis the time to reach nirvana, fa la la la la, la la la la
- The band Barenaked Ladies recorded a version of the song called "Deck the Stills", with the traditional lyrics replaced with the single repeated line "Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young".
- In the 2006 TV show Another Specky Christmas, Adam Hills sang a parody called Dick the Horse. Because apparently at a Carols by Candlelight concert, that's how his Nanna heard it because her hearing aid wasn't turned up.
- The animation comedy group JibJab, famous for their shorts "This Land" and "Good to be in DC," created their own "press conference" using President Bush as the singer. All the footage was taken from conferences in Washington DC and set to a very high-paced, not Christmas-like record player music. Bush's talking was timed and cut to become the lyrics.
- Among the lyrics in Mad Magazine's paperback "Sing Along With Mad" (written by Frank Jacobs) is a song that begins thus:
Fill the bars with Christmas drinking/ Fa la la la la, la la la la/ See the people getting stinking/ Fa la la la la, la la la la/
- Australian duo Colin Buchanan and Greg Champion (known as 'Bucko & Champs'), have also recorded the Australian version of Deck the Halls called "Deck The Sheds".
- In the sequence "Kill Gill:Vol 1&2" of The Simpsons, dancers on the ice are singing the song with the following lyrics:
- Laugh along with Christ and Krusty
- Ha ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha
- We have hard butts, we are busty
- Ha ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha
- The Simpsons book 'Bart Simpson's Guide to life' features a song named 'Decorate your father's belly':
- Decorate your father's belly
- Fa la la la la, la la la la
- While he's sleeping by the telly
- Fa la la la la, la la la la
- There is a "kosher" version of this song that starts like:
- Deck the halls with matzo balls
- Fa la la la la, la la la la
- Fill the dishes with knishes
- Fa la la la la, la la la la
- There is a subversive schoolyard parody of this song:
- Deck the halls with gasoline
- Fa la la la la, la la la la
- Light a match and watch it gleam
- Fa la la la la, la la la la
- Watch the school burn down to ashes
- Fa la la la la la la la la
- Aren't you glad you played with matches?
- Fa la la la la, la la la la
Cover versions
- Percy Faith and his orchestra on the 1954 LP "Music Of Christmas"
- John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers on the 1993 album Christmas Day in the Morning
- The Choir of Norwich Cathedral on their album Rejois for Joy
- Moya Brennan on her 2005 album, An Irish Christmas.
- Twisted Sister on their 2006 album, A Twisted Christmas.
- Relient K on their 2007 album, Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer.
- Bradley Joseph on his 2008 album, Classic Christmas.
- Ted Nugent on the 1998 compilation Merry Axemas, Vol. 2: More Guitars For Christmas.
- Mannheim Steamroller on their 1984 album, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas.
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra on their 1998 album The Christmas Attic, titled Boughs of Holly.
- Christmas at the Devil's House on their 2007 album, Christmas Music / Metal Madness: Santa vs. Satan in a Guitar Duel.
- Dexter as: "Piosenka świąteczna" with Polish lyrics - recorded in December 2008
- McFly on 2004
- Red Hot Chili Peppers in their 1994 compilation album Out in L.A.
- Raffi and the singers sang this song on Raffi's Christmas Album.
- Smokey Robinson & The Miracles on their 1970 album The Season For Miracles.
In popular culture
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (December 2009) |
- This traditional was sung in the introduction to "Ernest Saves Christmas" along with Here We Come A-Wassailing and O Christmas Tree.
- An arrangement by Nick D'Amico and performed by the Caroling Company featured in the film "The Addams Family" (1991). In the tradition of wassailing, the Addamses then serve the carolers boiling wassail... by pouring it on them from atop the house.
- A recording by Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia featured in the film "The Seeker".
- The song is used in the 1994 adaption of Little Women.
- Lady GaGa, together with Space Cowboy, used the song's melody in her Christmas special "Christmas Tree" in 2008.
SHeDAISY version
| "Deck the Halls" | |
|---|---|
| Single by SHeDAISY | |
| from the album Brand New Year | |
| Released | November 9, 1999 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 3:50 |
| Label | Lyric Street |
| Producer | Dann Huff |
An adaptation of "Deck the Halls" was recorded by country music group SHeDAISY that was made for their Christmas studio album Brand New Year and was featured in the Disney animated film Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas. The music video features scenes of the movie. The single was released on November 9, 1999.
Chart performance
| Chart (2005-2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 37 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 61 |
References
External links
- Free scores of Deck the Hall in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Free sheet music of Deck the Hall for SATB from Cantorion.org
- http://musicanet.org/robokopp/welsh/deckhall.htm
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