Born in Kent, Judge Dread was the first White British recording artist to get a reggae hit in Jamaica. He got his stage name from a Prince Buster song, and his first hits were inspired by Prince Buster's single, "Big Five".
The Guinness Book of World Records credits Judge Dread for having the most banned songs of all time. Many of his lyrics have sexual connotations, with one song "Big Five" using rhyme to suggest lewd words while not actually saying them. A series of songs with "Big" followed by a number were some of his most notable hits — all of them featuring sexual and humorous lyrics. It is unlikely that you will ever hear his music on mainstream radio because of the nature of his lyrics.
Judge Dread died on stage in The Penny Theatre, Canterbury. At first, his collapse was thought to be part of his humorous and lively stage act, but it was quickly discovered that he was really dead.
In the 1970s, tabloid newspapers expressed concerns that young fans of the comic character Judge Dredd might buy Judge Dread's records by mistake, and hear things that may corrupt their minds.
Christmas in Dreadland
Judge Dread Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It must be Christmas
Snow white and the dwarves they went to a ball
Thay all ended up feeling happy
Happy didn't mind at all
Red riding hood went to Grans house
With her little bag
Was a wolf in drag
Out here in Dread land
They say Santa is queer
Cause he only comes down the chimney
And that is once a year
Oye get that sleigh off my roof
Rudolph reindeers nose is so cold and numb
But another deers behind him
It′s stuck up Rudolphs bum
Whaaar
I'll tell ya another thing
If one of them deers poop up there you'll clean it up
Oh Christ I forgot deers could fly
Ho ho ho good shot Rudolph
Merry Christmas friend
I′ll give you merry Christmas
What a way to spend it aay
No beer, no birds
Still anyway I hope all you people out
Here are having a better Christmas than me
Sincerely Merry Christmas and a happy new year
God bless you all
Bye
The lyrics of Judge Dread's song Christmas in Dreadland are comical and satirical. The first verse describes the snowing weather and the expected festive mood that comes with it. The mention of "Snow white and the dwarves" reminds one of the fairy tale while the phrase "they went to a ball" suggests it is a happy occasion - this verse is simple and cheerful.
The second verse is more playful starting with the mention of Red Riding Hood, but the lyricist puts an interesting twist on the story as we hear of a wolf in drag. This is interesting as it plays into gender stereotypes and flips the usual narrative of the tale around. After this, we hear of how people in Dreadland view Santa Claus, which is unique as they believe him to be gay since he enters through chimneys. This verse is clever as it shows how society can view something quite innocent as questionable.
The final verse tells of the rather dirty mishap involving Rudolph's nose and another deer's behind, which is humorous but crude. Judge Dread ends the song on a somber note, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year despite his apparent lack of excitement for the day.
Line by Line Meaning
Cor it's snowing
Wow, it's actually snowing, which means it's Christmas time
It must be Christmas
The presence of snow confirms that it's indeed the holiday season
Snow white and the dwarves they went to a ball
Reference to the fairy tale, where Snow White and the seven dwarves attend a grand event
Thay all ended up feeling happy
The event went well and all the attendees had a good time
Happy didn't mind at all
The character named Happy was completely okay with enjoying the ball
Red riding hood went to Grans house
A callback to the classic tale where Red Riding Hood goes to her grandmother's house
With her little bag
She carried a small bag, possibly containing gifts or items for her grandmother
But all she found when she got there
Unfortunately, upon arriving at her grandmother's house, Red Riding Hood finds something surprising
Was a wolf in drag
Instead of her grandmother, Red Riding Hood finds a wolf disguised in her grandmother's clothing
Out here in Dread land
In this setting, which is called Dread Land
They say Santa is queer
The locals have a different perception of Santa, who they consider to be homosexual
Cause he only comes down the chimney
The reason behind this perception is that Santa only enters people's homes through the chimney
And that is once a year
This only happens once a year, during the Christmas season
Oye get that sleigh off my roof
An irritated individual is telling someone to remove a sleigh from their roof
Rudolph reindeers nose is so cold and numb
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, is experiencing a very cold and numbing sensation in his nose
But another deers behind him
Another reindeer is positioned behind Rudolph
It's stuck up Rudolphs bum
The reindeer behind Rudolph has its behind stuck up Rudolph's derrière
Whaaar
An expression of disgust or shock in response to the previous line
I'll tell ya another thing
The singer has more to say on the topic at hand
If one of them deers poop up there you'll clean it up
The artist is warning someone that if any of the reindeer defecate on the roof, they will be responsible for cleaning it
Oh Christ I forgot deers could fly
Surprise realization that the artist forgot that the reindeer in question can fly
Ho ho ho good shot Rudolph
A congratulatory statement for a job well done by Rudolph
Merry Christmas friend
A traditional greeting, wishing a Merry Christmas to a friend or acquaintance
I'll give you merry Christmas
The artist is expressing their desire to give someone a joyous holiday season
What a way to spend it aay
An expression of dissatisfaction at how the singer is spending their holiday
No beer, no birds
The singer is missing companionship and likely feels lonely without both beer and female company
Still anyway I hope all you people out here are having a better Christmas than me
Despite their own feelings of unhappiness, the singer wants others to have a more pleasant holiday season
Sincerely Merry Christmas and a happy new year
A genuine wish of a Merry Christmas and happy new year to all recipients of the message
God bless you all
A traditional expression of goodwill and positivity towards others
Bye
A brief farewell to end the song
Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steven Walker
Not listened to this song for years R.I.P JUDGE ❤🙏
Agnetha
Hilarious! Rest in peace, m'lud.
DJ Samuel
Classic 😂
Crowstyler Rat
Blimey, this is the 'clean' version
dave healy
emi version is far better :}