"Deck the Halls"
(original English title: "Deck the Hall"
) is a traditional Yuletide and New Years' carol. The "fa-la-la" refrains were probably originally played on the harp. The melody is Welsh and belongs to a winter carol, Nos Galan
. In the eighteenth century Mozart used the tune to "Deck the Halls" for a violin and piano duet. But the lyrics we sing now are American in origin and are from 1903
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DECK THE HALL TICKETS
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Lyrics
Note that the lines of the first two versions were not exclusive of one another and were often interchanged without preference. Various other versions remove or replace certain
Fa la la
lines with harp melodies.
Sometimes the third, "New Year", version is a follow up.
Popular version "Deck the Halls"
Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
'Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Toll the ancient Yule tide carol,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
While I tell of Yule tide treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
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Alternate version "Deck the Hall"
Deck the hall with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
Fill the mead-cup, drain the barrel,
Fa la la la, fa la la la.
Troll the ancient Christmas carol,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
See the flowing bowl before us,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la la, fa la la la.
While I sing of beauty's treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
Laughing, quaffing, all together
Fa la la la, fa la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
Note: in this version the third line of "Fa la la" is sometimes interpreted as "Fa, la la la, fa la la la" (Refer to Carols for Choirs 3)
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Welsh Translation "New Year's Eve" or "Cold is the Man"
''Cold is the man who can't love,
''Fa la la la la, fa la la la,
''The old mountains of dear Wales,
''Fa la la la la, fa la la la,
''To him and his warmest friend,
Fa la, Ffa la, fa la la,
''A cheerful holiday next year,
''Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
To the troubled, cold are the bills,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la,
Which come during the holidays,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la,
Listening to a sermon in one verse,
Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la,
Spending more than you earn,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
Cold is the snow on Mount Snowdon,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la,
Even though it has a flannel blanket on it,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la,
Cold are the people who don't care,
Ffa la, Ffa la, fa la la,
To meet together on New Year's Eve,
Fa la la la la, fa la la la.
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History
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The tune is that of an old
Welsh air, first found in a musical manuscript by Welsh harpist
John Parry Ddall (c. 1710–1782), but undoubtedly much older than that. The composition is still popular as a dance tune in Wales, and was published in the 1784 and 1794 editions of the harpist Edward Jones's
Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards
.
Poet John Ceiriog Hughes wrote the first published lyrics for the piece in Welsh, titling it "Nos Galan" ("New Year's Eve"). A middle verse was later added by
folk singers. In the eighteenth century the tune spread widely, with Mozart using it in a piano and violin concerto.
Originally,
carols were dances and not songs. The accompanying tune would have been used as a setting for any verses of appropriate metre. Singers would compete with each other, verse for verse — known as
canu penillion dull y De
("singing verses in the southern style"). The church actively opposed these folk dances. Consequently, tunes originally used to accompany carols became separated from the original dances, but were still referred to as "carols". The popular English lyrics for this carol are not a translation from the Welsh. The connection with
dancing is made explicit in the English lyrics by the phrase "follow me in merry measure" as "measure" is a synonym for dance. A collection of
such sixteenth and seventeenth century dances danced at the
Inns of Court in
London are called the
Old Measures. Dancing itself having been previously suppressed by the church was revived during the
renaissance beginning in fifteenth century Italy .
During the Victorian re-invention of Christmas it was turned into a traditional English Christmas song. The first English version appeared in
The Franklin Square Song Collection
, edited by J.P.McCaskey in 1881. See for a more detailed summary of what various sources say about its history.
Parodies and Commercial Adaptations
- "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as part of the Disney Sing Along Songs
series includes this song, but the last verses are different.
:
Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Toll the ancient Yule tide carol,
''Fa la la la la, la la la la.
All our friends are here bestowing,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Gifts for stockings overflowing.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sharing warmth of yuletide embers
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Joys that everyone remembers.
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Stockings filled with gifts, surprises,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Wrapped in many shapes and sizes.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Around the tree abundant treasures,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Celebrate the season's pleasures.
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
- The comic strip Pogo
often had the characters singing nonsense lyrics to the song, which otherwise fit in terms of rhyme and meter:
:
Deck us all with Boston Charlie
Walla Walla, Wash., and Kalamazoo
- A version of the song spoofed Hillary Clinton's typical clothing choice, a blue pantsuit. "Deck the Pantsuit with blue buttons" was once sung to Senator Clinton as she campaigned in Iowa in December 2007 for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
- The line "Don we now our gay apparel" has led to obvious visual jokes about cross-dressing, the usage of the term "gay" having shifted over the centuries. A famous cartoon in Playboy magazine shows a man singing the line while donning a woman's dress.
- A version sung in Springfield, Pennsylvania in 1970, penned by Clifton Siple contained the lyrics:
:
Deck the halls with marijuana, fa la la la la, la la la la
Tis the time to reach nirvana, fa la la la la, la la la la
- The band Barenaked Ladies recorded a version of the song called "Deck the Stills", with the traditional lyrics replaced with the single repeated line "Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young".
- In the 2006 TV show Another Specky Christmas, Adam Hills sang a parody called Dick the Horse. Because apparently at a Carols by Candlelight concert, that's how his Nanna heard it because her hearing aid wasn't turned up.
- The animation comedy group JibJab, famous for their shorts "This Land" and "Good to be in DC," created their own "press conference" using President Bush as the singer. All the footage was taken from conferences in Washington DC and set to a very high-paced, not Christmas-like record player music. Bush's talking was timed and cut to become the lyrics.
- Among the lyrics in Mad Magazine's paperback "Sing Along With Mad" (written by Frank Jacobs) is a song that begins thus:
Fill the bars with Christmas drinking/
Fa la la la la, la la la la/
See the people getting stinking/
Fa la la la la, la la la la/
- Australian duo Colin Buchanan and Greg Champion (known as 'Bucko & Champs'), have also recorded the Australian version of Deck the Halls called "Deck The Sheds".
- In the sequence "Kill Gill:Vol 1&2" of The Simpsons, dancers on the ice are singing the song with the following lyrics:
:
Laugh along with Christ and Krusty
Ha ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha
We have hard butts, we are busty
Ha ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha
- In the Simpsons book Bart Simpson's Guide to life it features a song named 'Decorate your father's belly. It opens like..,
:
Decorate your father's belly
Fa la la la la, la la la la
While he's sleeping by the telly
Fa la la la la, la la la la
- There is a "kosher" version of this song that starts like:
:
Deck the halls with matzo balls
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Fill the dishes with knishes
Fa la la la la, la la la la
- There is a subversive schoolyard parody of this song:
:
Deck the halls with gasoline
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Light a match and watch it gleam
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Watch the school burn down to ashes
Fa la la la la la la la la
Aren't you glad you played with matches?
''Fa la la la la, la la la la
Cover versions
- John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers on the 1993 album Christmas Day in the Morning
- The Choir of Norwich Cathedral on their album Rejois for Joy
- Moya Brennan on her 2005 album, An Irish Christmas
.
- Twisted Sister on their 2006 album, A Twisted Christmas
.
- Relient K on their 2007 album, Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer
.
- Bradley Joseph on his 2008 album, Classic Christmas
.
- Ted Nugent on the 1998 compilation Merry Axemas, Vol. 2: More Guitars For Christmas
.
- Mannheim Steamroller on their 1984 album, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
.
- Christmas at the Devil's House on their 2007 album, Christmas Music / Metal Madness: Santa vs. Satan in a Guitar Duel
.
- as: "Piosenka swiateczna" with Polish lyrics - recorded in December 2008
- McFly on 2004
- Red Hot Chili Peppers in their 1994 compilation album Out in L.A.
- Raffi and the singers sang this song on Raffi's Christmas Album.
In popular culture
- An arrangement by Nick D'Amico and performed by the Caroling Company featured in the film "The Addams Family" (1991). In the tradition of wassailing, the Addamses then serve the carolers boiling wassail... by pouring it on them from atop the house.
- A recording by Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia featured in the film "The Seeker".
- In "Wee Sing The Best Christmas Ever", Chris said this song title to Will in which he said, "You wanna go play Deck the Halls?" before they started playing their piano and recorder duet.
SHeDAISY version
An adaptation of "Deck the Halls" was recorded by
country music group
SHeDAISY that was made for their Christmas studio album
Brand New Year
and was featured in the
Disney animated film
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas. The music video features scenes of the movie. The single was released on November 9, 1999.
Chart performance
| Chart (2005-2006)
| Peak
position
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| U.S. Billboard
Hot Country Songs
| 37
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| U.S. Billboard
Hot 100
| 61
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