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  • Merry Christmas folks!

  • I always loved this song. I grew up in Albany and have loved away from the area for a couple decades now; I never knew about this recording.

  • one of the most beautiful Christmas songs ever. thank you.

  • I remember this song as a youngster, and it has been my favorite since the first time I heard it. Have a very cool Yule, greg thank you!

  • every song i here from him is mixed so badley

  • Bono (ATTENTION!) this is how it should be sung

  • Greg Lake can do no wrong

  • Excellent post I must say..

  • Just totally adore Lake's ballads. A special favorite. Priceless.

  • Comment removed

  • I like Greg Lake,too.

    thank you from japan.

    I can play hmammond organ look like keith.

  • @ysuzuki1773 you are welcome, thisvideo has the most views of all of the videos on my channel. Glad you liked it.

  • @ysuzuki1773 ya>? which I could play drums like carl, but I settle for what I could do, LOL. merry Christmas 2011 to you in Japan from america. thank you for video.

    most of all God bless. :)

  • The song is often misinterpreted as an anti-religious song and, because of this, Lake was surprised at its success. As he stated in a Mojo magazine interview:

    "I find it appalling when people say it's politically incorrect to talk about Christmas, you've got to talk about 'The Holiday Season.' Christmas was a time of family warmth and love. There was a feeling of forgiveness, acceptance. And I do believe in Father Christmas."

  • I never think Christmas has started for me until I hear thing song--best Christmas song ever

  • Greg Lake has a beautiful voice. I hoped one day I might meet him.  I would like to shake this man's hand and say thanks for speaking the World Citizen's voice.

  • my favorite Christmas Song, and Greg Lake is great.

  • still his voice turns me on ........ beautiful song now as it was so many years ago ....... blessings be for all, that we might each find it in ourselves to give kindness to strangers, forgiveness to those have done us ill and the faith to live up to the best within us .........

  • I've never taken this song as being anti-Christmas. It decries the layers of goo that smother the crux of Christmas.

    [Nor is wishing someone "Happy Holidays" or such an exclusion of Christmas; it's an INCLUSION of ALL holidays—including Christmas, along with Yule [no, not the same thing], Chanukkah, Kwanza, Mubarek, and any others. And considering the crux of the tale of the Good Samaritan, i don't think that Jesus would have a problem with it.]

  • LOL I love that people call this an atheist song, and Greg Lake is wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Whatever you believe, we shouldn't be enemies. I wish you a happy Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever you're celebrating. Stuff your face and make it a great one and don't give in those politically correct bastards in the media.

  • U2 do a good version of this song.

  • There's a great version we hear in Toronto... Greg had an interview at a radio station years ago, and he played this song perfectly, no back up vocals or instruments other than his guitar... we should try post it.

  • @brendandawna I remember that; & yes, it was great, would be nice to hear it again.

  • All anguish pain and sadness

    Leave your heart and let your road be clear

  • @JonP1961 A Christmas wish for all.

  • Herbjo...so sorry for loss in 1999. You have not lost her...trust me. One thing that makes this song so sweet is the use of Prokofiev's Lieutanant Kije Suite as the refrain.

  • When my mother died on Christmas Morning in 1999, When I went to the hospital to be with her until the GOOD LORD "called" her home. I heard this song on 107.7 KRXO in Oklahoma City. I knew that she was going "home" and this song has a lot of meaning to me. This is what CHRISTMAS is all about. I miss you mom.

  • @herbjo I miss my mom too. God bless

  • The original video for this song, the bulk of which was shot in the Sinai desert and Qumran in the West Bank, also contains shots of the Vietnam War, which has led to complaints from some that it should not be shown with light-hearted Christmas songs. These images of rocket barrages, air strikes, and mobile artillery are a violent backdrop to a peaceful-sounding song and create a hard-hitting message.

  • Now THIS is a great Christmas song! Enjoy!

  • Greg is such a class act.

  • Merry Christmas everyone

  • I remember this song when it came out at Christmas time in 1975. I had like the music of Emmerson, Lake, & Palmer and this song cap Lakes career in the music world.(In my eyes). But the song has a much deeper meaning. And when you really listen to the words you realiize that what he saids is true. You get what you deserve. "Merry Christmas"

  • I remember this song when it came out at Christmas time in 1975. I had like the music of Emmerson, Lake, & Palmer and this song cap Lakes career in the music world.(In my eyes). But the song has a much deeper meaning. And when you really listen to the words you realiize that what he saids is true. You get what you deserve. Merry Christmas

  • HE wrote? Well he wrote the chords melody and harmonies but he could have at least mentioned sinfield for the lyrics...

  • No mention of Prokofiev here?

  • Comment removed

  • It's an awesome job Greg Lake did of putting lyrics and his interpretation to the music but anyone who thinks less than half the credit belongs to Prokofiev needs to listen to Troika (search "prokofiev troika" on Y.T.)

    The Verve reputedly lost all their royalties for Bitter Sweet Symphony by basing the song around The Rolling Stones melody for "The Last Time" and this isn't much different by example. It's still a fantastic song and my Xmas favourite by far.

  • great song but xmas gets more comercialised every year

  • couldnt agree with you more exilog! This song was actually written as a protest to the commercial aspect of Christmas!

  • I love this song. But it always amazes me whenever I hear this on a store's muzak system at Christmas. This is as much about the cynicism at Christmas as it is a prayer for peace.

  • The sleigh bells would make it sound christmasy no matter what he was singing!

  • @BassPlayerSusan No. It's about growing up and finding out the true meaning of Christmas for yourself. Peace, war...they're political. It's about realizing that Christmas is a time to remember how lucky you are live where you do by the grace of your creator and that so many have tried to rob Christmas for political or financial gain and how we all need to remember what's really important around the holiday season and remember who we truly are.

  • @surfer53 Hmmm, interesting opinion on this song (I mean that in a good way). I never thought of it that way.

  • @BassPlayerSusan lovely xmas song..well done live

  • Great song. Greg was wicked cool to come and do this for Sara and all missing kids. To be honest , Sara had a better chance of being hit by lightning on that beautiful August day in the middle of nowhere than be abducted by Lent back in 1993. Learn from this-keep an eye on your kids no matter what.

  • {I love that you people are having a earnest discussion that does not involve such B.S. as tiger Woods. Let's just not start a war over religion, oh that's right, no one would do that would they?! haha

  • I don't hear anything in this song about Christmas being commercialized.

  • What I'm hearing is that as chilren, we learn that Christmas is a wonderful time, that we are visited by Father Christmas, and that we're celebrating the birth of Jesus. Then as we mature, we are no longer expected to believe in Father Christmas and some of us may take that a step further and question other things that we have been told. Finally, whether we believe either of those things, that Christmas is indeed a wonderful time and we should indulge in it and enjoy it because we deserve to.

  • @mmmrccc

    wonderful interpretation ! Thanks !

  • @mmmrccc We don't deserve to believe and/or enjoy christmas. That's ridiculous! Greg Lake is saying exactly as the way it is:  we get the christmas we deserve! Good luck in making the right choices in your life!

  • Christ hasnt stopped Poverty, War or Hunger. The song is about coming of Age and realising Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy arent real. Everything in the world isnt as simple and nice as in your own little sheltered life. That Xmas has really become commercialized . etc etc.

  • @ELP71 ... Because of a little thing called Free Will. Eliminate Free Will and Christ is just a pimp or a puppeteer. The song is as much about free will as it is about the commercialization of Christmas. "The Christmas we get we deserve." Who knew Greg Lake and Glenn Beck were so much alike?

  • i agree its like politics we get the goverment we deserve

  • "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace , but a sword . For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

    And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." Jesus Christ - Matthew 10:34-36

  • If this guy is an athiest, as some have said this song demonstrates, he's an intellectually honest one, and those are hard to find. And either way, if you're offended by the story of some kid being born to save the world and bring peace on earth and remind us to be good to each other, then you're the one with the problem. This isn't a debate around God or Christianity or religion. If it's merely a fairy tale, but it makes us better people, those who are offended by that have mental issues.

  • thanks for a super fantastic upload.

  • @paulsak59 someday I will put some more from this show on here; I just got a new video capture card, so hopefully soon. This is the most viewed upload that i have - it always spikes around Christmas.

  • greg lake seems like the nicest dude ever

  • He's changed. A lot.

  • Lake seems like a great guy. He's

    not only a great musician and great

    singer, but he's also a great songwriter,

    and he also produced all the early ELP

    records, so he's obviously very smart.

    Ironically, they say that he and Emerson, in spite of all they achieved together, LOATHE each other, to the point where

    they can't even look each other in the eye!

  • This is the best Christmas Song. Greg is so underrated as a Singer

  • wondeful voice

  • You're both wrong, he was born November 10th, 1947 which would make him 62 today, and 28 in 1975. Father time is cruel to everyone, you still have to love him and his music.

  • I'm a big Greg Lake fan and was lucky to have met him twice. But I'm still amazed how his voice went to hell after ELPowell of 1986.

  • can't wait to see and here what you look like in about 30 or 40 yrs.

  • Greg Lake = great man + great composer + great singer + great musician!!

  • greg lake you are fuckin badass

  • I was the stage right boom camera operator on this shoot

  • Cool - I worked there for a year right around Y2K. I'll bet we know some of the same people.

  • I could listen to his voice all night long. He should do a radio show or something?

  • it's a beautiful song

  • MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

  • beautiful song. i especially love the last line. beautiful!

  • Great song, thanks for posting it! Sure, he aged & doesnt sound like he did in the 70's but it still is nice and he does a good job with it. How come someone is nice enough to post a vid and people cant just watch it without commenting nastily and fighting with others?! What's the point of that, seriously?

  • I looked him up in the Wikipedia and he is now fifty-six years old, so he must have been twenty-five years old when he first recorded the song in 1975. He did not look twenty-five then. I thought that he was about seventeen or eighteen years old then.

  • Comment removed

  • Your math is wrong, too, Big Shot.

    He was 28 in 1975. Born 10 November 1947, Poole, Dorset, England, UK.

  • What a fucktard you are, creep. It was a joke, everyone throwing out numbers like it mattered. You are the biggest douche of all, responding to my 10 month old post.

  • this is my favourite xmas song,says it all if u listen.

  • The words made this song for me when it first came out because it was voicing my emotions of betrayed youth and cynical hope for the future. I "wish" we all got the Christmas we deserve BUT Bush will not be dead and the wrongfully killed by his wars will not comfort their loved ones. So UNFORTUNETLY NO we do not always get the Christmas we deserve... BUT this song allows me at least lip service to the notion. Shalom Sabot... I hope your children are not killed by Bush in the brave new year.

  • oops..sorry to butt in on you guys throwing insults around..none of my business,im just here to say-beautiful song,sounds greater still in this live acoustic version-excellent post,thanks

  • You're welcome!

  • you are right on the money!! thank you for reminding me why we are here!!

  • Also shithead...I was being sarcastic about the weight and age thing, i know you didnt say it but were you implying it?

  • more abuse mate. you really do have some personal issues. You didn't actually complete my quote. there was a :( at the end. I said shame that in this video he wasn't looking good. He had dyed his hair black and yes he really had got HUGE. Nothing to do with his age at all. In even later videos where he is older he has gone back to his natural blonde hair and lost weight and he has aged well. ITS a shame was my comment NOT shame on him!

  • Ok shithead...explain what you meant by your comment 'oh what the fuck happened to him! shame'

  • My last post was to global001....i balls the quote up somehow.

  • Ballsed it up? Perhaps it was because you just let your mouth fly off without engaging your brain.

  • The best Christmas song ever

  • oh what the fuck happened to him! shame :(

  • Meaning what exactly? The original video was shot in 1975...shame on him for gaining a bit weight and looking a bit older eh?......yer stupid twat!

  • I didn't say shame on him. You must have issues about gaining weight and getting older yourself because I didn't say any of that either. Pull ya head in and keep your abuse to yourself mate.

  • if you are going to make a written comment...please dont make a bigger fool of yourself and deny it...that was simply lame

    shame on you...not greg

  • You the only one making a fool of yourself mate because for you to misconstrue my message only goes to high light your poor understanding of the english language. I said ITS a shame that in this video he looked really bad. He had dyed his hair black and had put HUGE amounts of weight on. In his later videos he has gone back to natural blond hair lost weight and has aged well. I never said shame on him. Keeps your abuse too yourself until you learn to read!

  • that's what happens when you get old, you either puff up like a marshmellow in the micro or shrivel into a prune like Keith Richards

  • LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

  • huh? corn syrupy lyrics? Did you ever listen to early King Crimson? 20th Century Schizoid Man is syrupy? ,Emipaph, MoonChild, Court of the Crimson king? What are you talking about? LOL

  • geil

  • "from the beginning "was the only really good song Lake wrote."Still you turn me on"....please.Dont pass the ladder, pass the air sic bag.

    You need to read Keith's comments on Lakes Lyrical abilities. Sinfield even backs Keith up. Sinfield wrote and Lake approved or disapproved , if he didnt like the line or word or words he would ask Sinfield to change it/them. If you call that writing?

  • Great Christmas song- one of the best even topping "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"....

  • ???Sinfield wrote most the lyrics. Sinfield wrote most of the lyrics from BSS,Works and BeeGee Beach.Lake was a lousy lyricist froma a prog perspective. He could write a simple corn syrupy sickly sweet folk love ballad .

  • Quote: "Sinfield wrote most the lyrics." As I understand it, they co-wrote the lyrics. How do you know which one wrote more than the other? Please cite your source.

    Quote: "Lake was a lousy lyricist from a prog perspective. He could write a simple corn syrupy sickly sweet folk love ballad."

    Huh? I wouldn't call "From the Beginning" or "Still You Turn Me On," for example, "corn syrupy sickly sweet." On the contrary, I've always thought Lake wrote emotive songs that weren't syrupy.

  • Does anyone know what year this is from?

    Thanks.

  • Do you mean this piece of footage(1994) or the original version, 1975.

  • Thank you for letting me know both "years".

    I wish all videos had the year too.

    Greg Lake just seems like a great guy. I've

    become a fan all over again.

  • This video does have the year - it's in the "more info" section.

  • merry christmas every one love you all xxxxx

  • good old greg lake-

    top musician,nice kind bloke ,really cares about proper music still, teaching kids etc,

  • Beautiful song!! One of my favorite Christmas songs.

  • This is one of my favourite songs.

    legendary.

  • Lake didnt even write the lyrics, Pete Sinfield did.

  • ELP 71, where did you get that disinformation from? Yes Lake did write the lyrics, *with* Sinfield.

  • If that is the case, then it is Sinfield, not Lake, who appears to be the atheist. calling the birth of Christ a "fairy story".

  • One phrase of the song was from Troika -- seconds...

    Please don't act like the whole song was cribbed.

  • I saw this show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Washington, D.C. Greg's awesome

  • In fact the melody was written by the Russian composer Serge Prokoiev. It was written for a movie called Leutnant Kije ( which was never made).

    In Russian a troike can be translated as a threesome. It could be a sleigh pulled by three horses, but not exclusively.

    Stalin, Churchill and Rooseveldt were known as a Troike

  • Greg Lake may have wrote the lyrics however the music is from the Russian folk song Troika named after 3 horses pulling a sleigh.

  • Greg Lake may have wrote the lyrics however the music is from the Russian song Troika.

  • Das beste Weihnachtslied das ich kenne.

  • So beautiful. It lifts the little manger baby up to the magnificent Son of God whom He is and gives us a kick in the butt for our perversions of His first coming and the way we continue in our wickedness! Whew! A good reminder that we need to separate the superficial materialism from the gospel message. Yes.

  • What a good person is Greg Lake to respect Christmas? God bless him.

  • Sounds like he does it in a lower key in later life.. still very good though.

  • Same key as the original; D Major. He does look older here than in the video though ;)

  • He had just turned 46 at the time of this video.

  • a flat major actually

  • Greg Lake kicked some serious butt with this song , One of the greatest writers and voices of the 20th century

  • Happy Christmas Greg: We loves you. From Malloco Penaflor Chile

  • The words made this song for me when it first came out because it was voicing my emotions of betrayed youth and cynical hope for the future. I "wish" we all got the Christmas we deserve BUT Bush will not be dead and the wrongfully killed by his wars will not comfort their loved ones. So UNFORTUNETLY NO we do not always get the Christmas we deserve... BUT this song allows me at least lip service to the notion. Shalom Sabot... I hope your children are not killed by Bush in the brave new year.

  • Not the place for stupid political commentary. This is about the music. Take your stupid political commentary to a forum where people care.

  • As you all seem to like the more thoughtful approach to your Xmas songs, check out "Lindisfarne - Winter Song (Live 1984)" on YoutTube.

    Probably has the most resonance in the UK and not strictly a Christmas song, but well worth a listen for its superbly crafted lyrics.

  • Greg Lake. I thank you!!!

  • put the father back in father christmas!

  • ELP were the best rock band EVER!!! If Led Zep can do a reunion gig, surely to god Kieth Greg asn Carl could forget their differences and get back together for at least a UK tour

  • THank you bear95! Fantastic idea,too! Im a drummer/percussionist of 45+ years and ELP along with Carl Palmer have been one of my favs since I was turned onto their music 'back in the day'!

    Merry Christmas!

    ...Jim

  • I wish they would do a tour again I would love for my son, who is 17 , to see and hear them in concert. I've seen them twice and would love to see them one more time.

  • u r so right..i saw elp when i was 8 years old at madison square garden...and again in the late 70's..CARL PALMER IS THE GREATEST DRUMMER..KARN EVIL #9..all 3 impressions is great...but before a elp reunion..let carl finish with ASIA..i have tix for april 7th in harrisburg pa....steve howe john wetton geoff downes and carl....i saw them before too....where has all the good music gone..yes rocked too!!....

  • i luv this song ma dad says its his best xmas song n first time i heard it i loved it ever since but i like the other version better bcos he sings so fast i n this one n he sings to fast on this one so i lyk the other one better but my bbest xmas song is the fairy tale of newyork by the pouges

  • this song is beautiful

  • number 1 Christmas song in my book

  • jesus christ his head is SO round

  • Jesus's? Or Greg Lake's?

  • I love this song it has a lot of special meaning to me as it just rmindes me of every year im in the car with my parents and it remindes me how much i love them and how close we are i love this song has me crying every time my parents are very special people i have a lot to thank them for

    ]

  • My favorite christmas song. Yes, tears, and the proverbial chill down my spine. Can only truly be enjoyed on these cold december nights up here in the north.

  • Never fails to remind me of the true spirit of christmas, and always brings a tear

  • I believe in father christmas. I believe in PEACE ON EARTH!

    PEACE N LOVE TO EVERYONE

  • May we all have a Happy Christmas,,,what ever happens!!!

    God Bless You All

  • I Believe in Father Christmas

  • The Christmas we get we deserve... What kind of Christmas for America, or Bush?

  • A beautiful and chilling song! There's also a guy named Midge Ure who sang this and it was awesome! Hard to find, but a great cover of this song!

  • This song sends shivers down my spine too. After The Little Drummer Boy this is my favorite Christmas song.

  • Always...sends shivers down my spine and tears in my eyes! Have just played it for the first time this year thanks to you...

  • A true Chritmas Song, sadley to true for this generation. I hope some can enjoy a great song

  • Check out a great version of this song with piano, strings and choir by "Seven Second Orchestra" at Soundclickdotcom.

  • i could not find in youtube the great version you said

  • he's saying it's at another website called soundclick (dot) com . he couldn't put the actual URL because youtube doesn't allow you to put links in these comments.

  • Best christmas song ever made!!!

  • I can't have Christmas without listening to Father Christmas.Thanks for posting the video.

    LadyDemocrat

  • I agree, you have to here this in the Holiday Season

  • More people should listen to this type of music and TRULY understand the words.

    It's SO beautiful

  • I love this song, but please remember that Prokoviev wrote the melody.

  • One thing sucks about You Tube, ya get to see what time did to your favorite artists.

  • he doesn't look that bad! He's always had kind of a round face - and he's slimmed down some in more recent videos.

  • i agree with this... although i dont know what he looed like other than from what i've seen in his other youtube videos, but he really doesnt look as bad as some others now do

  • I saw this "concert" (tour) at the Hard Rock Cafe in Washington, D.C. I hate to admit but a tear came to my eye when he played this. I love Greg Lake.

  • You are truly correct Pikey. I find the interview with Greg Lake to be very truthful, and the song does remind us that not everything is as it should be on the 25th of Dec.

  • Hey Pikey, just a thought, but..If you don't like Christmas, why would you choose to listen this int he first place?..just curious.

  • the real video was shot in a desert. an ironic look at xmas i think. remember not all the world cheers on dec 25

  • Christmas sucks, this song doesn't. means a lot to me.

  • The sign of a good classic Christmas song, is when people will listen to this all year round. This song is definately a Christmas song..thanks for posting.

  • Two of my favorite Christmas songs have their roots in rock music, Greg's, I Believe in Father Christmas and Ian's,(Tull) A Christmas Song.

  • This is the most watched video on my channel. Still getting tons of views - and christmas is over six months away! I may post some more songs from this show someday. You must like Cat Stevens, huh? (Mona Bone Jacon)

  • Yep, A monumental album for Cat following his recovery from TB and a total transformation of his music. His early work was mainstream like Barry Manilow. He did it his way at this point. I feel Nick Drake went in this direction in his last release, "Pink Moon". He did it his way and not over produced. I could go on and on. Great period for music.

  • Que voz! Continua belíssima!

  • brilliant christmas song that gets little recognition despite being so good.

  • Greg Lake and this song was the intention to learn how to play Guitar :-) Thank you Greg!

  • Wonderful. A truly underrated Christmas classic.