Posted on 12/22/2012 7:09:10 AM PST by pabianice
Was listening to Fox in the background. A local NYC kids' choir just sang "Winter Wonderland." You know, "In the meadow we will build a snow man, we'll pretend that he is Parson Brown, he'll say 'are you married?' we'll say, 'no, man', but you can do the job when you're in town..."
Except, the new words are, "we'll pretend that he's a circus clown..." and subsequent lyrics delete all reference to religion.
I find this repellant and just one more move toward making any reference to religion unacceptable. As a Jew I'm not up on Christmas songs, but is this what's being allowed to happen to our kids?
That’s actually in the second refrain or second verse or whatever it is........
Only cuz azz clown didn’t rhyme
Weird.
I got a Chrhistmas card from my State Senator with a hand written note that says “Wow! We are in a lot of trouble...”
You can imagine how that makes me feel. :(
Hubby sings the ‘Marv Albert’ version.
Instead of ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland’ the verse is ‘Walking ‘round in women’s underwear...’
We were at BJs Wholesale club and he was absentmindedly singing this and this poor woman happened to hear him, spun around and stared at him with her mouth completely agape.
I slipped away, hid behind the clothes racks and laughed with my hand over my mouth. I had to let him own that.
Actually, the circus clown version is NOT in the original 1934 song.
It’s a 1950’s rewrite which tones it down for younger children.
From Wiki:
The bridge of the song contains the following lyrics:
“In the meadow we can build a snowman,
then pretend that he is Parson Brown.
He’ll say ‘Are You Married?’ We’ll say ‘No man,
but you can do the job while you’re in town!’”
In the period when this song was written, parsons (now known as Protestant ministers) often traveled among small rural towns to perform wedding ceremonies for denominational followers who did not have a local minister of their own faith.
The original bridge, about a couple who make a spur-of-the-moment decision to get married, was supposedly considered inappropriate for children. A 1953 version of the sheet music contains the following replacement bridge
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
and pretend that he’s a circus clown.
We’ll have lots of fun with Mister Snowman,
until the other kiddies knock ‘im down!
When it snows, ain’t it thrillin’?
Tho’ your nose, gets a chillin’
We’ll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland.
LOL! Too funny!
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers!
“Circus clown” gives me the creeps. I think of that killer Wayne something Gacy!
So far in Utah, they still sing/play Christmas songs, even religious ones! My 11 year old granddaughter’s been learning to play the Viola this year, she was in the Christmas concert and the group from her school did play at least one religious-themed song: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, and a couple others. The other students from a another school who were more advanced, played other songs, such as: “Silent Night”, “We Three Kings From Orient Are” and “Alleluia Chorus”! We in Utah have been generally more fortunate in that we were founded by a religious group, (we have others besides LDS, of course) so we haven’t had the problems other states have had, yet! (I do say, “yet”)However, that could change in future!(heaven forbid) Massachusetts was also founded that way, as was Maryland, and look what happened to them! (grimace..)
Worry not—soon—all too soon—we will need all of our religions! Wait, it will not be long before America is under attack—we will have few friends and many enemies—our back to the wall in ways worse than 1942. American cities burning, the newspapers filled with the names of the dead—thousands lost each day. Then, all of this Progressive propaganda and Gay Agenda will be seen as what it is—worthless and silly. The Churches will be filled—racism will be set aside and from the cauldron will be forged a new and better America. It will be a war we may not win this time—and from it a new world will come.
Went to Hallmark to get a small box of Christmas cards yesterday. Only about 10% had any religious significance, and the truly religious ones were all for Hispanics. It’s very sad. The corporate lockstep with Leftist agendas is really picking up steam in recent years.
Yes, I spoke my mind, and may do so with corporate headquarters as well, as I often have before, but stopping this rising tide seems a Quixotic endeavor.
I’ll have to make a correction in the name of one song. That one is to change from “Alleluia Chorus” to “Halleluia Chorus”. Hopefully, that one is more correct!
Ha HaHa That's funny
Sigh. Winter Winderland is NOT a Christmas song and never was. It is love song with a winter setting. It never mentions Christmas.
When I was growing up the radio stations would play “Winter Wonderland”, “Let it Snow”, “Sleigh Ride”, etc. *all winter long*. Then about 20 years ago or so, the powers that be decided that any song that mentioned snow must be a Christmas song too, and now Christmas is the only time you hear them. But they are really love songs with a winter setting. It’s just plain nuts.
The “Circus clown” lyrics go back deades too!
Agree.
To tell the truth I thought when I heard this as a kid the lyrics where “Then pretend that he is parched and brown”.
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