I Believe In Father Christmas
Christmas Hits Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the Virgin Birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winter's light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas tree smell
eyes full of tinsel and fire

They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a silent night
And they told me a fairy story
'Til I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked to the sky with excited eyes
'Til I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave new year
All anguish, pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on earth




Hallelujah, Noel, be it heaven or hell
The Christmas we get, we deserve

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Christmas Hits' "I Believe in Father Christmas" convey a melancholic and disillusioned tone at the onset with the opening lines "They said there'll be snow at Christmas, They said there'll be peace on Earth". This is a reference to the oftentimes idealistic notions and expectations that people have about Christmas. The next line "But instead it just kept on raining, a veil of tears for the virgin birth" implies that this idealism is misplaced, and in reality, things do not always go according to plan. The singer remembers one Christmas morning and describes a picture of the beauty of the winter morning, only to hint that it was temporary with the last line "and fire".


The second stanza goes on to express the singer's disillusionment with the idea of Christmas and religion in general. The retelling of the story of the Israelite offers a clue to the singer's own beliefs, as he begins to lose faith in his childhood fantasy of Father Christmas. The final stanza offers a message of hope for the future, acknowledging that while things might not be perfect, a "hopeful Christmas" and a "brave new year" can make everything worth it. Even if the circumstances are not ideal, the sentiment of joy and hope should be upheld.


Line by Line Meaning

They said there'll be snow at Christmas
The promises were made that there will be snow on Christmas Day.


They said there'll be peace on Earth
The assurances were given that peace will prevail throughout the world on Christmas Day.


But instead it just kept on raining
However, it only rained on the day which became a source of disappointment.


A veil of tears for the Virgin Birth
The weeping was only for Jesus Christ's mother, Mary's tragic plight during his birth.


I remember one Christmas morning
The singer recollects a specific memory of one Christmas Day.


A winter's light and a distant choir
The singer remembers seeing a faint light and a choir from afar on that particular day.


And the peal of a bell and that Christmas tree smell
The singer recollects hearing the sound of a church bell ringing and smelling the scent of a Christmas tree.


Eyes full of tinsel and fire
The singer remembers the excitement and joy in the eyes of the people when they saw the tree decorated with tinsel and lights.


They sold me a dream of Christmas
The marketing of Christmas as a dream-like event full of happiness and festivities was overplayed.


They sold me a silent night
The advertisers perpetuated a myth of a silent night while hoping to increase profits during the festive season.


And they told me a fairy story
The storytellers narrated a fable of Christmas to entice their audience.


'Til I believed in the Israelite
The singer was filled with wonder and started believing in Jesus Christ, who is an Israelite.


And I believed in Father Christmas
The singer started to believe in the fictional character Father Christmas.


And I looked to the sky with excited eyes
The singer became starry-eyed and looked up at the sky while waiting for Father Christmas to arrive.


'Til I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
However, the next morning, the singer woke up to sunshine with a huge yawn, indicating the fuss was all for naught.


And I saw him and through his disguise
The singer realized that Father Christmas was just a man in disguise.


I wish you a hopeful Christmas
The singer wishes for a joyful and optimistic Christmas for everyone listening.


I wish you a brave new year
A better tomorrow and the courage to continue moving forward is wished upon for the coming year.


All anguish, pain and sadness
The singer longs to leave behind all the mental agony, physical discomfort, and melancholy from the year that has passed.


Leave your heart and let your road be clear
The singer encourages listeners to clear their hearts and their path ahead of any obstacles, paving the way for a better future.


Hallelujah, Noel, be it heaven or hell
The singer utters a word of praise to praise God regardless of whether the place we end up in the future is good or bad.


The Christmas we get, we deserve
The type of Christmas people celebrate is a reflection of what their conduct.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Greg Lake, Peter John Sinfield, Serge Prokofieff

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Denis468

They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the virgin birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winter's light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire
They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a silent night
And they told me a fairy story
'Til I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in father Christmas
I looked to the sky with excited eyes
That I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise
I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave new year
All anguish, pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'd be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on earth
Hallelujah, Noel be it heaven or hell
The Christmas we get we deserve



@ianmatthews4672

The Christmas we get WE DESERVE !!

WE ARE BLIND FOLLOWERS OF HEINOUS VILE CORRUPT GOVS ..

WE SMILE AND LOOK THE OTHER WAY BUYING THEIR LIES FOR ONE MORE DAY OF TRICKERY BECAUSE WE feel blessed.

It's all fake - just as Greg was illustrating .



You buy the beauty of the song and allow the bombs to destroy at the same time.



They sold you a Dream of Christmas ( of life in fact )

This song like John Cougars " Pink Houses "

" little pink houses for you and me "
" it's the simple man baby that pays the bills " ( taxes)
Pay the bills that KILL"

We get the dreams they sell us as millions die at our ignorant hands



Fools Gold - false hopes
Daydreams and make believes

While you sit in the sun
Sipping spritzers vodka and New England Iced tea



You



@rantadadmoanicuss8606

Peace to my fellow humans.
Christmas is upon us.

Many years ago I was compelled to fill the instrumental break Troika during the outro when the child runs to his father with choral lyrics inspired by John and Yoko "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". Please include them at 2:55

A very merry Christmas war is over only if you want it to be
Have a peaceful new year one without the fear
We can all live in harmony.

RIP Greg, wished I'd released these earlier I think you would've approved.



All comments from YouTube:

@Audioholics

Sadly when you search this song on most streamers, the original Greg Lake version ranks below the covers. This is a true masterpiece and one of the best Christmas songs ever written. RIP Greg Lake.

@cattybigness

He has the dubious honour of having died in the Great Cull of 2016.

@montseret1

Could not have said it better myself

@stormshear3722

Honeymoon Suite does a very worthy cover. Johnnie Dee hits a homer with the vocals!

@gazwheeldon5952

Could not said it any better, you hit the nail on the head, as a none Christian this tells the truth.

@gazwheeldon5952

Im not into Christmas songs, but this has a edge, great lyrics and true, as a non Christian this makes sense.

258 More Replies...

@p.moorewilson7917

Boy, this song sure resonates in December 2023… 😔💕🎄

@GuyE.

You never spoke a truer word.

@markcf83

More than ever.....

@maryaustria3927

Reminds of when the world was a better place

More Comments

More Versions