Christmas is Coming
Encyclopedia
"Christmas Is Coming" is a nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...

 and Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...

 (frequently sung as a round
Round (music)
A round is a musical composition in which two or more voices sing exactly the same melody , but with each voice beginning at different times so that different parts of the melody coincide in the different voices, but nevertheless fit harmoniously together...

) with lyrics as follows:
Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat
Please put a penny in the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you!


A variant has the final line as "If you have no ha'penny, then God bless you!"

The musical version of the rhyme was popularized by The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...

 as "A Round About Christmas", on their album The Last Month of the Year
The Last Month of the Year
The Last Month of the Year is an album of Christmas music by The Kingston Trio, released in 1960 . It became the first Kingston Trio album release to fall below expected sales and Capitol withdrew the album from circulation shortly after its release...

. It was also featured on a Christmas album John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together is a 1979 Christmas television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets and singer/songwriter John Denver.-Home media releases:...

. The rhyme also became the basis for the song "Christmas Is a-Comin'", re-written by Frank Luther
Frank Luther
Frank Luther was an American country music singer, dance band vocalist, playwright, songwriter and pianist.-Early life:...

 and performed by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....

, among others; this song contains the following lyrics:
When I'm feeling blue, when I'm feeling low,
I start to think about the happiest man I know.
Now he doesn't mind the snow, he doesn't mind the rain,
But all December you will hear him at your window pane,
Singing again and again and again and again and again:

Christmas is a coming and the bells begin to ring,
The holly's in the window and the birds begin to sing.
I don't need to worry, and I don't need to fret,
And the more you give at Christmastime the more you get.

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
The more you give at Christmastime the more you get.

Christmas is a coming, the egg is in the nog.
Please give a friendly man a friendly little dog.
If you haven't got a friendly dog, a friendly cat will do,
If you haven't got a friendly cat may God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
If you haven't got a friendly cat may God bless you!

Christmas is a coming, the lights are on the tree.
How about a turkey leg for dear old me?
If you haven't got a turkey leg, a turkey wing will do.
If you haven't got a turkey wing may God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
If you haven't got a turkey wing may God bless you!

Christmas is a coming, the cider's in the keg.
If I had a mug of cider I wouldn't have to beg.
If you haven't got a mug of cider, half a mug will do.
If you haven't got half a mug, may God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
If you haven't got half a mug, may God bless you!
If you haven't got a thing for me, may God bless you!
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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