He became widely known for his version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1982), as well as his own compositions "Durham Town (The Leavin')" (1969) and "I Don't Believe in If Anymore" (1970), his 1970 hit "New World in the Morning" and his 1975 hit "The Last Farewell" (his only single to hit the US Billboard Hot 100, making it to the Top 20).
Whittakers first chart success came in 1969 when "Durham Town (The Leavin')" was his first UK Top 20 hit. In 1970 came two follow-up hits, "I Don't Believe In If Anymore" (Top 10) and "New World In The Morning" (Top 20), and 1971 brought two smaller hit singles "Why" and "Mamy Blue".
Whittaker was absent from the UK singles chart until 1975, when "The Last Farewell" went Top 3, after which it was another eleven years until "Skye Boat Song" returned him to the Top 10 of the singles chart.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Whittaker had success in Germany, with German language songs produced by Nick Munro (unable to speak German at that time, Whittaker sang the songs phonetically). In time he became more fluent in German and sang and was interviewed in German on Danish television in November 2008. Whittaker retired from touring in 2013.
Good King Wenceslas
Roger Whittaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shown the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gathering winter fuel.
Hither, page, and stand by me.
If thou know it telling:
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me pine logs hither.
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear the thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger.
Fails my heart, I know not how.
I can go no longer.
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his master's step he trod,
Where the snow lay dented.
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol that tells the story of King Wenceslas, the Duke of Bohemia, who goes out on the feast of Stephen (December 26th) to bring charity to a poor man during a harsh winter. The song begins with King Wenceslas standing by the window, looking out at the snowy landscape. Despite the bitter cold, the moon shines brightly, allowing him to see a poor man gathering winter fuel. The king calls upon his page and asks him to accompany him on this charitable mission. They set out through the rough winds and bitter weather, guided by the light of the moon.
As they journey through the snow, the page becomes weary and expresses his doubts about continuing. However, the king encourages the page to follow in his footsteps, assuring him that they will find warmth and purpose in helping the poor man. The final verse serves as a moral lesson, reminding listeners that those who bless the poor and needy will themselves find blessings.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The king, named Wenceslas, observed
On the feast of Stephen
On the day of Saint Stephen's celebration
When the snow lay round about
With the presence of snow all around
Deep and crisp and even
Thick, crunchy, and uniform
Brightly shown the moon that night
The moon shone brightly in the night sky
Though the frost was cruel
Despite the harshness of the freezing cold
When a poor man came in sight
When a destitute man appeared before him
Gathering winter fuel
Collecting materials to keep warm during winter
Hither, page, and stand by me
Come here, assistant, and support me
If thou know it telling
If you have any knowledge, speak
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that peasant over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his abode like?
Sire, he lives a good league hence
Sir, he resides a considerable distance away
Underneath the mountain
Beneath the mountain's presence
Right against the forest fence
Directly adjacent to the forest's boundary
By Saint Agnes fountain
Next to the fountain dedicated to Saint Agnes
Bring me flesh, and bring me wine
Provide me with meat and wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Bring pine logs to this location
Thou and I will see him dine
You and I will witness him eating
When we bear him thither
When we transport him to this place
Page and monarch, forth they went
The assistant and the king, they ventured forth
Forth they went together
They proceeded together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
Amidst the harsh wind's fervent sorrow
And the bitter weather
And the unforgiving climate
Sire, the night is darker now
Sir, the night has grown even darker
And the wind blows stronger
And the wind blows with greater force
Fails my heart, I know not how
My heart weakens, though I am unsure of the cause
I can go no longer
I am unable to continue any further
Ark my footsteps, my good page
Pay attention to my footsteps, my loyal assistant
Tread thou in them boldly
Walk confidently in my path
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
You will discover the fury of winter
Freeze thy blood less coldly
Freeze your blood with less severity
In his master's step he trod
He walked in his master's footsteps
Where the snow lay dented
Where the snow was imprinted by footsteps
Heat was in the very sod
The ground itself retained warmth
Which the saint had printed
Which had been created by the saint's footprints
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
As a result, Christian men, be certain
Wealth or rank possessing
Whether possessing wealth or social status
Ye who now will bless the poor
You who are willing to bless the impoverished
Shall yourselves find blessing
Shall also discover blessings for yourselves
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TRADITIONAL, EVAN JOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@epicrapfan73
He should have done this in his 1984 Christmas album like he did with God Rest You Merry Gentlemen!
@Atalanta01
My favourite version of the song.
@Sailorsunrise1
I found this:
Good King Wenceslas
Roger Whittaker
From the Album Christmas With The Stars
30 Nov 2009
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Good King Wenceslas
From the album Christmas Crooners and Divas
2004
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Christmas Crooners
2009
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But i thing, i have see this song by a LP from 1971. But im not sure ^^