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.
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Roger Whittaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A partridge in a pear tree
On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Six geese a laying, five gold rings, four calling birds
Three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five gold rings
Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying
Five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Nine drummers drumming
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Ten pipers piping
Nine drummers drumming, ten pipers piping
Drumming, piping, drumming, piping
Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying
Five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Eleven ladies dancing, ten pipers piping, nine drummers drumming
Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying
Five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Twelve Lords a leaping, eleven ladies dancing, ten pipers piping
Nine, drummers drumming, eight maids a milking
Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying
And five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree, and a partridge in a pear tree
The song "Twelve Days of Christmas" is a traditional English Christmas carol that dates back to at least the 1700s. The song has a cumulative structure, meaning that the lyrics build upon each other with each verse adding a new gift to the list. The song tells the story of a person receiving a series of increasingly elaborate gifts from their true love over the course of twelve days.
Each of the twelve gifts mentioned in the song has its own significance. The partridge in a pear tree is often interpreted as a symbol of Jesus Christ who according to Christian tradition, sacrificed himself on the cross. The two turtle doves represent the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The three French hens are said to symbolize the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. The four calling birds refer to the four gospels of the New Testament. The five gold rings are believed to represent the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying are thought to symbolize the six days of creation in the book of Genesis. The seven swans a-swimming are believed to represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The eight maids a-milking are thought to symbolize the eight beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. The nine drummers drumming could represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. The ten pipers piping are believed to represent the ten commandments. The eleven ladies dancing could symbolize the eleven apostles who remained faithful to Jesus. And finally, the twelve lords a-leaping could symbolize the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
The "Twelve Days of Christmas" has been recorded numerous times by various artists and has become a popular holiday staple. However, the origins and meaning of the song have remained shrouded in mystery, with many theories and interpretations existing. Some have even suggested that the song was actually created as a mnemonic device to teach Catholic children about their faith. Regardless of its origins or meaning, the song has become an enduring holiday tradition and a beloved part of Christmas celebrations around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me
My true love began the 12 days of Christmas by sending me a present
A partridge in a pear tree
The present I received was a bird sitting in a tree
On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me
My true love sent me another present on the second day
Two turtle doves
I received two birds that represent love and devotion
And a partridge in a pear tree
The first present of a bird sitting in a tree was also still there
On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Another present arrived on the third day
Three French hens, two turtle doves
I received three more birds, this time hens, along with the two turtle doves from before
And a partridge in a pear tree
The same partridge in a tree was still one of my presents
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
My true love continued sending me presents on the fourth day
Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
Four more birds arrived, calling birds this time, along with the French hens and the turtle doves from before
And a partridge in a pear tree
The same partridge sitting in the tree was still one of my presents
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
I received another present on the fifth day
Five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
The present included five gold rings as well as the four calling birds, three French hens and two turtle doves from before
And a partridge in a pear tree
The same partridge still sat in the tree as one of my gifts
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
My true love sent yet another present on the sixth day
Six geese a laying, five gold rings, four calling birds
I received six geese laying eggs, as well as five gold rings and the four calling birds from before
Three French hens, two turtle doves
I also received three French hens and two turtle doves, which were from earlier presents
And a partridge in a pear tree
The same partridge in a tree was still present as well
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me
I received a seventh present on the seventh day
Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five gold rings
The present included seven swans swimming, six geese laying eggs, and five gold rings from an earlier present
Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
I also received four calling birds, three French hens and two turtle doves from earlier gifts
And a partridge in a pear tree
The partridge in the tree was still there as well
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
More presents arrived on the eighth day
Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying
The present included eight maids milking, seven swans swimming, and six geese laying eggs
Five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
There were also presents from the previous day, such as five gold rings and four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
The same partridge in a tree was still present as well
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Another present arrived on the ninth day of Christmas
Nine drummers drumming
The present was nine men drumming, providing music and entertainment
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
My true love continued the gift-giving by sending me something on the tenth day
Ten pipers piping
The present was ten men playing pipes or other musical instruments
Nine drummers drumming, ten pipers piping
The gifts from the past two days included both men drumming and men playing musical pipers
Drumming, piping, drumming, piping
There was a mix of music coming from both the drummers and the pipers
Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying
I also still had the eight maids milking, seven swans swimming, and six geese laying eggs that were included in an earlier present
Five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
The same five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, and two turtle doves from a previous present were still in my possession
And a partridge in a pear tree
The same partridge in a tree was still one of the gifts as well
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Yet another present arrived on the eleventh day
Eleven ladies dancing, ten pipers piping, nine drummers drumming
The present included eleven women dancing, ten men playing musical instruments, and nine men drumming
Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying
I still had the eight maids milking, seven swans swimming, and six geese laying eggs from before
Five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
The same five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, and two turtle doves were still mine as well
And a partridge in a pear tree
The partridge in a tree was still one of my presents
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
The last present of the 12 days of Christmas arrived on the twelfth day
Twelve Lords a leaping, eleven ladies dancing, ten pipers piping
The present included twelve men leaping, eleven women dancing, and ten men playing musical instruments
Nine, drummers drumming, eight maids a milking
The gift also included nine men drumming and eight maids milking
Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying
I still had the seven swans swimming, and six geese laying eggs from before
And five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
I also still had the five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, and two turtle doves from earlier presents
And a partridge in a pear tree, and a partridge in a pear tree
The final gift included another partridge sitting in a tree, just like the first gift from day one
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
funkyjohnhuie
I love this version! So different and I love the key changes! And in minor! Wow!
N K
Me too!
Jared Rexan
My favorite rendition of the song.
Eva Buchner
Genial gesungen, bringt mich in Weihnachtsstimmung
Pollicina 薔薇
Ja, wirklich😊
Frohe Weihnachten❤
Sharon DiSciacca
And a partridge in a pear chee
Arcane Knight
What instrument plays in this song that sounds like a horn or flute?
momo zheng
2:43
Comfort Yabaya
Nlce