With his backing group The Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before and during the The Beatles' first year in the charts. A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music led to his having more of a pop than rock image. Although never able to achieve the same impact in the United States as in Britain (in spite of several chart hits there), Richard has remained a popular music, film, and television personality in the UK and also retains a following in several other countries.
During the last six decades, Cliff Richard has charted many hit singles, and holds the record (along with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its active decades (1950s–2000s). According to his website, he has sold 250 million records over the course of his career. In the British charts alone, Richard has had more than 150 singles, albums and EPs make the top 20.
Mistletoe And Wine
Cliff Richard & The Shadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The old has passed, there's a new beginning
Dreams of Santa, dreams of snow
Fingers numb, faces aglow
It's Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time for living, a time for believing
A time for trusting, not deceiving
Love and laughter and joy ever after
Ours for the taking, just follow the master
Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
(Silent night holy night)
It's a time for giving, a time for getting
A time for forgiving, and for forgetting
Christmas is love, Christmas is peace
A time for hating and fighting to cease
The lyrics of Cliff Richard & The Shadows's song Mistletoe And Wine is all about the celebration of Christmas. The child mentioned in the first line refers to Baby Jesus who was born in a manger centuries ago. The carolers singing shows the joy and merrymaking expected during this period. The second line expresses a new beginning, that the old is gone and now, there's a new beginning. It speaks to the belief that Christmas brings about a renewal in the human experience. Then, the third line introduces the idea of dreaming, dreaming of snow and Santa, it is a common thing for children to have high expectations for Christmas season. And finally, the last line in the stanza depicts the physical reaction of being out in the cold during this time - numb fingers, but there's still joy, faces aglow with excitement.
The chorus assures a very cheerful Christmas celebration. Mistletoe and Wine are pertinent items associated with Christmas. The children singing Christian rhymes expresses the religious importance of Christmas, while the logs on the fire and gift on the tree further explain the merry-makings of the season. Consequently, the period is for rejoicing and expressing gratitude for the good that surrounds us during this period.
The second stanza is a call to action, where it explains that it's also a time for living, believing, trusting, and loving. Emphasizing that it isn't just about the physical aspects of Christmas but making accurate decisions on how to live a meaningful life. The stanza finally encourages all to follow the master, referring to Jesus Christ, to be Christlikeness.
Line by Line Meaning
The child is a king, the carolers sing
The birth of the child is celebrated as a significant event, with people singing carols in praise.
The old has passed, there's a new beginning
The past is left behind and the present holds the promise of new beginnings.
Dreams of Santa, dreams of snow
Expectations of Christmas include the typical portrayal of Santa Claus and snowfall.
Fingers numb, faces aglow
The cold air has made people’s hands numb but they are still happy and excited.
It's Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
This time of year is marked by the use of mistletoe and wine, which are associated with joy and celebration.
Children singing Christian rhyme
The religious aspect of Christmas is celebrated by children singing Christian hymns.
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
Traditionally there are logs in the fire and gifts under the tree, which creates a cozy atmosphere of family and love.
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
This is a time to be happy and celebrate all the good things that have happened during the year.
A time for living, a time for believing
Christmas is a time for living life in a positive way and believing in the magic of the holiday season.
A time for trusting, not deceiving
It’s important to trust and not deceive others during this time of year, and always.
Love and laughter and joy ever after
Christmas is a time for love, laughter, and everlasting joy.
Ours for the taking, just follow the master
All the promised happiness and joy is there to be taken, simply by following the true meaning of Christmas.
It's a time for giving, a time for getting
The spirit of Christmas includes giving and receiving, and the joy that comes from that exchange.
A time for forgiving, and for forgetting
Forgiveness and forgetting grudges is an essential part of the Christmas spirit.
Christmas is love, Christmas is peace
The essence of Christmas is love and peace.
A time for hating and fighting to cease
All the bad feelings and negative emotions should be forgotten during the Christmas season, in the name of love and peace.
(Silent night holy night)
A nod to one of the most famous Christmas hymns.
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@smokinjz
The child is a king, the carolers sing
The old has passed, there's a new beginning
Dreams of Santa, dreams of snow
Fingers numb, faces aglow, it's
Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
A time for living, a time for believing
A time for trusting, not deceiving
Love and laughter and joy ever after
Ours for the taking, just follow the master
Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
Silent night
Holy night
It's a time for giving, a time for getting
A time for forgiving and for forgetting
Christmas is love, Christmas is peace
A time for hating and fighting to cease
Christmas time (silent night), mistletoe and wine (Holy night)
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
Christmas time (Christmas time), mistletoe and wine
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
Christmas time (silent night)
Mistletoe and wine (Holy night)
Children singing Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
@rhino
Celebrate this holiday season in style with all your favorite Christmas tunes like timeless classics by Donny Hathaway, Otis Redding, and the Drifters and new holiday favorites by Michael Bublé, Sia, Coldplay and more! Listen here https://TOPSIFY.lnk.to/100GreatestXmas 🎄 🎅 🎁
@hughw2377
Its sad they don't play this on the radio anymore
@sylvieledoux2132
I was in London as the song was released. An unforgetable experience. Thanks for all Cliff!
@notandnowavailableonyoutub2855
30 years ago, in an alternate universe, Kylie and Jason were No2 and Cliff was Christmas No1. A classic ode to how we want this time of year to play out....
@mariashaw4064
One of my favorite songs of Christmas 🎄❤️
@rosemarycarlyle5918
After the year he's had with trial by media I really wish cliff a peaceful Christmas. Merry Christmas and God Bless to everyone!
@jessihcj7
What meaningful and relatable lyrics.. where are songs like these nowadays. Happy holidays everyone. God bless us all
@krzysiek7094
MERRY CHRISTMAS from POLAND!!!!!
@phillipsclare
Apparently i sang this to all my relatives on Christmas day when i was a little girl! I have no shame though, still love it!
@5340robert
One of my fave Christmas songs ever. I find it abit disrespectful that some people sneer at this song these days.