Dick Marx was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for f… Read Full Bio ↴Dick Marx was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials. He is the father of singer/songwriter Richard Marx. He is best known now as the composer of the fight song for the Chicago Blackhawks, Here Come the Hawks, in 1968 which is still used extensively today.

Marx played piano from childhood, and got his professional start playing in nightclubs in Chicago. In the 1950s he accompanied Helen Merrill and released several albums under his own name. From the 1960s, he worked extensively in advertising, writing some of the most popular jingles for brands such as Ken-L-Ration, Doublemint, Kellogg's Raisin Bran, Dial Soap, Arm & Hammer, and Nestle Crunch.

In 1975, Marx wrote the news theme for Chicago station WBBM-TV, based on an old folk song "I Love Chicago, Chicago My Home." The theme was very popular during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Marx moved to Los Angeles in 1986, where he scored films such as A League of Their Own and Edwards and Hunt and TV shows such as Fudge. He arranged for popular musicians such as Joe Cocker, Yoshiki, and his son, Richard Marx.

Dick Marx was injured in a car crash in Las Vegas in 1997, and died shortly thereafter in Highland Park, Illinois.

Discography:
Too Much Piano (Brunswick Records, 1955)
Dick Marx Piano (Coral Records, 1957)
Marx Makes Broadway (VSOP, 1957)
Delicate Savagery (Coral, 1958)

Here Come The Hawks
Dick Marx Orchestra and Choir Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here we come a-caroling
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen.

Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year,

And God send you a Happy New Year.
We are not daily beggars
Who beg from door to door,
But we are neighbors' children,
Whom you have seen before.

God bless the Master of this house,
Likewise the Mistress too
And all the little children,
That round the table go.

Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.
We are not daily beggars
Who beg from door to door,
But we are neighbors' children,
Whom you have seen before.

And all your kin and kinfolk
That dwell both far and near
We wish a Merry Christmas
And Happy New Year.
Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.
We are not daily beggars
Who beg from door to door,

But we are neighbors' children,
Whom you have seen before.

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are not from the original version of "Here Come The Hawks," but are in fact a variation of a traditional English Christmas carol called "Here We Come A-wassailing." The lyrics are meant to convey the good tidings and blessings that come with the holiday season. The carolers sing about bringing love and joy to those they encounter and wishing them a Happy New Year. They also make a point to emphasize that they are not beggars, but rather neighbors' children who have been seen before.

The lines "God bless the Master of this house/Likewise the Mistress too" are indicative of the traditional social hierarchy, where the head of the household is expected to be respected and honored. The lyrics also express a sense of community and togetherness, as the carolers extend their well wishes to not only the family within the house, but also to their kin and kinfolk near and far.

Overall, the lyrics of "Here Come The Hawks" (or "Here We Come A-wassailing") are a celebration of the holiday season, emphasizing the importance of spreading love and joy to all.

Line by Line Meaning

Here we come a-caroling
We are coming to sing carols.

Among the leaves so green,
We are walking among the greenery.

Here we come a wand'ring,
We are wandering around.

So fair to be seen.
We are beautiful to look at.

Love and joy come to you,
We bring love and joy to you.

And to your wassail too
We wish your wassail to be full of love and joy.

And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year,
We ask for God's blessings to shower upon you and to have a Happy New Year.

And God send you a Happy New Year.
We hope God sends you a Happy New Year.

We are not daily beggars
We are not begging for money every day.

Who beg from door to door,
We are not begging door-to-door.

But we are neighbors' children,
We are children of the neighbors.