Early Christmas present from U2

Just in time to make the Roaches' annual Christmas mix CD and to usher in the new (RED) WIRE online music subscription service, U2 has released a cover of Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas" from 1975 It's an interesting take on a somewhat cynical song about the commercialization of Christmas written by the prog-rocker and former member of King Crimson and Emerson Lake & Palmer. As far as I can remember, this is the first Christmas song U2 has recorded since their take on Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" from the 1987 "A Very Special Christmas" CD to benefit the Special Olympics.

U2's version:



Original version:


Greg Lake talking about the song:


Lyrics:
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the virgin birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winters light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas Tree smell
And eyes full of tinsel and fire

They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
'Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked to the sky with excited eyes
'Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
Hallelujah Noel be it Heaven or Hell
The Christmas we get we deserve