The carol singing took place outside the central Manchester branch of Marks and Spencers--a well known food and clothing retailer in Britain.This company is notoroious for funding the Israeli Zionist right wing.


NINE ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS CAROLS

FOR  2003.             

By Just Peace UK.

O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

O come all ye faithful,
All who care for justice,
O look ye, O look ye at Bethlehem;
Come and behold it
Under occupation.
O come, let's not ignore it,
O come, let's not ignore it,
O come, let's not ignore it,
Tell the world.

Sing, all ye people,
Sing in indignation,
Be with the citizens of Bethlehem;
Sing out for justice,
Freedom from oppression.
O come, let's not ignore it,
O come, let's not ignore it,
O come, let's not ignore it,
Tell the world.



O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
A wall is laid where tourists stayed,
And tanks go rolling by.
And in thy dark streets shineth
No cheerful Christmas light;
The grief and fears of three sad years
Are met in thee tonight.

How silently, how silently
The world regards it all,
As now thy heart is torn apart
By Israel's ghetto wall.
They terrorize a people -
A war crime and a sin;
Their winding "fence" can make no sense;
Revenge can still get in.

O promised child of Bethlehem,
Cast down the iron cage,
The walls of hate that separate
And harden and enrage;
Bring justice and make equal;
Come down from far above;
And come to birth upon this earth,
As hope and peace and love.


ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID'S CITY

Once in royal David's city
Stood some big Israeli tanks;
Mothers giving birth to babies
Met with checkpoints and roadbanks.
Holy land was all defiled
As a bullet killed a child.

Round the ancient tomb of Rachel
They have built a ghetto wall;
Rachel's weeping for her children,
And "her children" means us all.
But this city's strangulated,
Rachel's children segregated.

David's people once instructed
All the world in righteousness;
Once they spoke of truth and justice,
Now they ravage and oppress.
Nations, look at Bethlehem,
And speak out the truth to them.

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

In the bleak midwinter,
Refugees made moan;
Sharon stood like iron,
Bush was like a stone.
Tanks were rolling, tank on tank,
Tank on tank,
Through the camps of Gaza
And the West Bank.

How can we stop him,
Ariel Sharon?
Silence of the nations
Lets him carry on.
Where is there a wise man
Who could do his part?
Tell the world to stop him
With its heart.

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

On the first day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
An uprooted olive tree.

On the second day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Two trampled doves
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the third day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,  Arik Sharon sent me
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Ten wells obstructed,
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Eleven homes demolished,
Ten wells obstructed,
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings,
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Twelve assassinations,
Eleven homes demolished,
Ten wells obstructed,
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,

And an uprooted olive tree.

ARIEL SHARON WALKED OUT
(TO BE SUNG TO THE TUNE OF "GOOD KING WENCESLAS")

Ariel Sharon walked out
On the Temple mountain;
Riots broke out round about -
Blood flowed like a fountain.
Seven were shot dead that day,
And the troops hit harder,
Escalating an affray
Into intifada.

"Hither voters, vote for me,
In the next election;
I will bring security,
Strength and self-protection".
So they voted in Sharon
As their lord and master,
And they let him carry on,
Though he brought disaster.

"Bring me flesh and bring me blood,
Bring me target killing!
Crush those Arabs into mud,
Make the message chilling.
Bomb the people from the sky,
Fighting terrorism;
If the world complains, we'll cry
'Antisemitism!'"

In their master's steps they trod,
The Israeli forces;
They profaned the name of God,
Choosing evil courses.
Therefore, IDF, be sure,
Tanks and planes deploying,
Ye who will oppress the poor,
Shall be self-destroying.


WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
Some occupying soldiers came
And bulldozed all around.

"Fear not", said one, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind;
"We will not cause you any harm,
For we are good and kind.

We're forced to confiscate your land
To build ourselves a fence
To keep our people safe from all
Your people's violence.

Some fields will stay, cut off from you,
But access won't be banned;
Yes, permits we will give to you
To visit your own land.

However, to your flocks of sheep
This access is denied;
For permits aren't made out to sheep,
So they must stay inside.

You say that sheep need pastureland
To feed or they will die;
I'm just obeying orders here;
Not mine to reason why."   


THE OLIVE AND THE IDF

The olive and the IDF
When they are both full-grown,
Every olive tree on the West Bank
The IDF cuts down.

O the rampaging of settlers
And the rolling of the tanks;
The grinding of the bulldozers
As the olives fall in ranks.

The olive bears a berry
As green as any grass;
When the owners go to pick the fruit
They're not allowed to pass.

O the rampaging of settlers
And the rolling of the tanks;
The grinding of the bulldozers
As the olives fall in ranks.

This oppression bears a berry
As red as any blood,
As the owners see their livelihoods
All trampled into mud.

O the rampaging of settlers,
And the rolling of the tanks;
The grinding of the bulldozers
As the olives fall in ranks.

If you want to buy the olives,
You'll find it very hard;
To those that make it to checkpoints
The way outside is barred.

O the rampaging of settlers,
And the rolling of the tanks;
The grinding of the bulldozers
As the olives fall in ranks.

The olive and the IDF,
When they are both full-grown,
Every olive tree on the West Bank
The IDF cuts down.


WE FOUR KINGS

FOUR KINGS TOGETHER

We four kings, we're called the Quartet;
With a roadmap off we all set,
No-one knowing where we're going,
Or how far we can get.

CHORUS

O, map of wonder, map of light,
Map of promises so bright,
In three phases, through the mazes
Guide us with no end in sight.

1ST KING

I'm King George, the USA man;
And it goes according to plan;
Fighting terror, righting error;
After Iraq, Iran.

CHORUS

O, map of wonder, etc.

2ND KING

I this year am King of EU;
My name's known to more than a few -
Berlusconi; I and Tony
Take from King George our cue.

CHORUS

O map of wonder, etc.  

3RD KING

I'm King Putin, Muscovite Tzar,
With this map I travel afar;
I'm partaking in peace-making,
Just like in Chechnya.

CHORUS

O map of wonder, etc.

4TH KING

I'm King Kofi, head of UN;
It makes laws again and again,
But ignored is, for the sword is
Mightier than the pen.

CHORUS

O map of wonder, etc..

FOUR KINGS TOGETHER

We four kings, we're all in a flap,
For we've got ourselves in a trap -
Stopped by trenches, walls and fences,
Not marked upon the map.

CHORUS

O map of wonder, etc.

FOUR KINGS TOGETHER

We four kings, bewildered we are,
For this map's not getting us far,
Nowhere leading - for we're needing
Not a map but a star.

CHORUS

O star of freedom, star of light,
Star of peace with justice bright,
Shining ever, they can never
Target-bomb thy perfect light.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Oh little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie.
Along thy curfew-silenced streets
Israeli tanks go by.
Yet against the ethnic cleansing
The Palestinians fight.
The children’s tears of fifty years
Are still being wept tonight.

For all the peoples of the world
Who live in pain and fear,
We ask you now to heed their voice
And let them know you hear.
We sing for every dissident
We sing for all the poor.
We sing for all who need our love,
We sing against the war


Away in a Manger

In darkness and danger
No home and no bed,
The young Palestinians
Can’t lay down their head.

The stars in the night sky
Are tracer and shell.
For young Palestinians
Their lives are sheer hell.

The tanks are still rolling,
The murders increase.
American weapons
Disturbing the peace.

Now Christmas is coming,
So we’re here to say
The young Palestinians
Need your help today.
Good King Wenceslas

Good thing Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen,
Saw a poor bloke stagger about
Nowt to eat and freezing.

Wenceslas did what he could
And we still remember.
Can’t see Tony down our way
To help us this December
Oh,


Come All Ye Faithful

Oh come all ye faithful
Angry and indignant.
Oh, come ye, oh come ye
To Bethlehem.
Come and resist them,
Help the Palestinians.
O Come ye, o come ye
O Come ye, o come ye,
O come ye, o come ye
To tear down the Wall.

Sing loud in protest.
Sing in execration.
Sing ye, oh sing ye
And spread the word.
Come and resist them,
Help the Palestinians.
O Come ye, o come ye
O Come ye, o come ye,
O come ye, o come ye
To tear down the Wall.


Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Marks and Spencer’s tills do ring:
Money for Israel’s right wing!
No peace on earth, no mercy mild
For the Palestinian child.
Boycott Marks and Spencer’s now,
Genocide is wrong we know.
Though this Christmas seems the same,
War drags on in Bethlehem.
Marks and Spencer’s tills do ring:
Money for Israel’s right wing!


God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God rest ye merry gentlemen
May nothing you dismay.
Not even planes and missiles
That soon might come your way,
To save you all from terrorists
Who stand in Bush’s way.
Oh glad tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh glad tidings of comfort and joy.

God rest ye merry gentlemen
May nothing you dismay.
Not even ethnic cleansing
Like Israel does today,
To save you all from terrorists
Who stand in Bush’s way.
Oh glad tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh glad tidings of comfort and joy.



Once in Royal David’s City

We have come to sing of Christmas,
Peace and love to everyone.
Help the poor and weak and starving –
Or blow them all to kingdom come?
Stand up for the meek and lowly.
War is wrong and life is holy!

Bombs and bullets are their presents,
Their hymn the starving children’s cry.
We eat well and spend our money
While they watch their children die.
Stand up for the meek and lowly.
War is wrong and life is holy!

There is cash for nuclear weapons,
We are rich – let’s go to war,
But for schools and old age pensions
There’s no money left at all.
Stand up now and all tell Tony
That this war is all baloney!

Stand up for asylum seekers,
Stand up for a world of peace.
Stand your ground against the Nazis,
Spare a thought for refugees.
Stand up for the meek and lowly.
War is wrong and life is holy!


Deck the Halls

Fill the streets with protest banners,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Teach the government some manners,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Throw away the bombs and bullets
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
We can think it, we can do it,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Save the people and the planet,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
After all, we all live on it,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

No more war and no more killing,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
We can all get on, god willing,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.



If you … clap your hands

If you think that Blair’s a poodle
Clap your hands.
If you think that Blair’s a poodle
Clap your hands.
If you think that Blair’s a poodle
And that Dubya’s off his noodle
If you think that Blair’s a poodle
Clap your hands.

If you don’t like bombs and bullets…
And this war sticks in your gullet…

If you think that peace is better…
Tell your leaders in a letter…



Lead Me O Thou Great Redeemer
(or similar)

Stop the sanctions, stop the bombing,
Stop the war against Iraq.
Bush and Blair have got it coming
When election time comes back.

Generals from the British army
Say this war’s a waste of time.
Bush and Blair, if war’s that vital
Put your own lives on the line.

If you think the war’s so useful
Volunteer to go and fight.
Don’t let others do it for you
If you’re sure that might is right.

Would you kill Iraqi children?
Would you strike the old and lame?
Would you take food from a baby?
Should they do this in your name?

Stop the war against Iraqis.
Say no to the Yankees’ lies.
Politicians get the glory,
But the people pay the price.


I saw three ships

I saw three subs come sailing in,
Come sailing in, come sailing in.
I saw three subs come sailing in
To Faslane base in the morning.

They prowl the deep with weapons of war,
With weapons of war, with weapons of war.
They prowl the deep with weapons of war
To blow up the world in the morning.


We Wish You a Merry Christmas

This war is a bit of business
This war is a bit of business
This war is a bit of business
For the arms dealers here.

Those contracts they sign
Put lives on the line.
This war is a bit of business
And it won’t take much time.

A war is a messy business
A war is a messy business
A war is a messy business
When the bullets start flying.

But it’s all just a bit of business
But it’s all just a bit of business
But it’s all just a bit of business
If it ain’t you that’s dying.


I will rock my heart

till the wall comes down..... all around my spirit
I will work for peace
till the wall comes down..... all around my spirit
I will sing my song
till the wall comes down..... all around my spirit
I will speack my truth
till the wall comes down..... all around my spirit
I will rock my heart
till the wall comes down..... all around my spirit