Going down in history 4 DUMMIES

I’ve been hearing this song, hither and thither, for sometime now. If Shakespeare were alive and been walking down 5th avenue last night, and heard the Carolers the way i did (with their heavenly voices and unaffected-by-cold-weather-and/or-rude-gaffs faces) he’d go all “old Gowery” on it and recite how:

It hath been sung at festivals,
On ember-eves and holy-ales;
And lords and ladies in their lives
Have read it for restoratives:

Etcetera.

I am no world reknowned dead poet-ess, but I know people well. And the way i heard men with thick [country-sounding] voices singing it, there seems to be pride and joy in the telling of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer’s, story. When I say heard, I am ofcourse not saying I have been able to hear and understand all the lines in the song. I never can with english songs (except for Tracey Chapman’s; and only because her voice isn’t dwarfed by bells and whistles of the music department at the back). Still my senses have scouted something “fishy” in it, a faulty sounding reasoning – so to say, a dangerous teaching masquerading as a soul-less all-is-well-that-ends-well story for one reindeer born with an unfortunately shiny glowy bright red nose.

A couple of minutes ago, i manned up and googled it: first the song, then the story behind the song and the person behind the story. And, sure enough, I saw my keen and reliable senses for bullcrap haven’t deceived me. This was one song Bertie Wooster would have labeled ”a stinker”. A bad apple that has been fed western kids (and some Ethiopian girls too) for generations. How you can’t be accepted by your peer groups, won’t be allowed to join in their games, or “go down in history”, unless you’ve been loved, courted or in the service of someone that matters. Like Santa Claus, for example!. And, yes, they call it a Christmas Song. And, yes, they force them wee ones to sing it along. And to think .. to think!!.. I’ve been wondering if “Santa Baby” wasn’t a little too graphic for a holiday “mezmur” meant to celebrate the birth of wittle-lil-baby Jesus!

Think about it!!!

The song (for those who do not know it)

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
“Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
you’ll go down in history!

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