JPF Home Page Forums Lyric and MP3 Feedback Lyric Feedback Forum 2 Christmas Is For The Children * A Diane Rulliere Richard Blum Terry C Graham Collab*

Christmas Is For The Children (Imagination Is The Ride)

When it snows and the clouds hide the stars
‘Round Christmas time they listen for the sound
Of rudolf, dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen,
So they know when Santa is chimney bound.

But don’t talk to me of snow and stars
And endless reindeer lists of names
That kids round here are stealing cars
Usin’ real guns to play their games

BUT SHE SANG:

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

Still thunder rolls in troubled souls
Up against the wall. . .

What do you want for Christmas sonny?
I want a gun to cut them down
I need to show them I’m no dummy
I’m the meanest kid in town

SHE SANG:

Hey big shot
You gonna be the toughest guy in jail
Watcha gonna do when hardcore wants you
Who'll hear your weeping and your wail?

You can bend to the pressure
or collapse under the weight
Jesus died for your sins, inside
To give you a fresh clean slate

And it's never too late. . .

To heal your soul,
To reach your goal
To be a kid again
To dig yourself out of your hole
In Jesus you’ve got a friend

So listen up and listen good
I know it gets tough down in the hood
but if you would just look up. . .
And look inside

Santa is the image of the spirit
Imagination is the ride

YES. . .

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

© 2004 D. Rulliere, Ritt , Terry C. Graham




[This message has been edited by sweetjoyce (edited 12-04-2004).]

Couipla weak spots in this fine peice I thought... one was "I'm no dummy"...seemed somehow forced, at least not a reason for getting a gun...


The soul and goal line too seemed to be ther just for the rhyme.


Other than that, a tough gritty "dueling" lyric she is... with a strong bent..

Good luck with it you three.

Hey John,

Right on!
That verse 2 does needs a facelift. . .
especially being as it leads into a pivotal part.

As far as "soul and goal". it is certainly so well worn as to appear cliché. but I wrote that primarily because it is true.

Diane wrote: "To heal your soul" and I was building on that . . . or rambling on in stream of consciousness fashion, I should say. . . so as to not short-circuit the flow -- which often leaves one with "draft mode" at best. :-)

If the rhyme were the primary motivation, then it *would* fail as being on filler-level. :-)

Maybe it is as much the "reach" part that needs changing?

To heal your soul . . .

Guide you to your goal
Inspire dreams and goals
Inspire you to strive for your goals

To heal your soul
Give your rock back some roll

Thanks John
Terry


[This message has been edited by Tall_Terry (edited 12-04-2004).]

Hi John and Tall T

Semantics, but ritt wrote "To heal your soul" Diane wrote the tough kid parts!!!

How About

To heal your soul,
"Put your reputation on hold"
To be a kid again
To dig yourself out of your hole
In Jesus you’ve got a friend

and

What do you want for Christmas "son"?
I want a gun to cut them down
I need to show them I’m "number one"
I’m the meanest kid in town

or

What do you want for Christmas sonny?
I want a gun to cut them down
This ain't no joke, it ain't funny
"See" I’m the meanest kid in town

[This message has been edited by sweetjoyce (edited 12-04-2004).]

[This message has been edited by sweetjoyce (edited 12-04-2004).]

Hey Ritt,

Excellent!

What do you want for Christmas "son"?
I want a gun to cut them down
I need to show them I’m "number one"
I’m the meanest kid in town

But make the kid a little more hard-nosed
and the "them" isn't well enough defined.
Who are "they" that he wants to cut down?

What do you want for Christmas "son"?
Gimme a gun to cut anyone down
Who don't agree that I’m "number one"
The coolest gangsta in town.

Something like that?

"reputation on hold" doesn't work for me
because good or bad, your reputation follows you.

TT

Yeah, the "number one" is it methings Ritt...

What do you want for Christmas "son"?
I want a gun to cut them down
I need to show them I’m "number one"
I’m the meanest kid in town


Real solid!


And for that Soul "hold" will work...maybe like

To heal your soul,
But more, to hold
all like a kid again
To dig yourself out of your hole
In Jesus you’ve got a friend


Ciao folks

Tall T

i like the gangsta one

now....well repititious, but that never stopped a strong bible hymnal....

To raise your goals
To heal your soul,
To raise your goals
To be a kid again
To dig yourself out of (from) your hole
In Jesus you’ve got a friend

Thanks John, the more to choose from the better.....easy for me to say lol, as we'll let Tall T make the final choices....

Hello! I'm back from Nodland - and I see some changes afoot.

"dummy" is a word a child would use. I was trying to describe the world of a child, from a child's point of view. You are putting adult phraseology into a child's mouth. The child is trying to be adult - growing up too quickly, but still using childish language. I think it works - convince me otherwise!

Hi Sleepy Diane,

Good point!

We've drifted into teenland
and away from the child aspiring to be a tough teen like his older brother.


Terry

Hi Sleepy

I hear ya, but sonny/dummy sounds a little old hat....from a 50's movie....kids today are big on being number one....how's that convincing enough....

ok in it's entirety, easier to see than in parts.....watcha think girl, don't be shy, we're big guys we can take it!!!

Christmas Is For The Children (Imagination Is The Ride)

When it snows and the clouds hide the stars
‘Round Christmas time they listen for the sound
Of rudolf, dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen,
So they know when Santa is chimney bound.

But don’t talk to me of snow and stars
And endless reindeer lists of names
That kids round here are stealing cars
Usin’ real guns to play their games

BUT SHE SANG:

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

Still thunder rolls in troubled souls
Up against the wall. . .

What do you want for Christmas "son"?
Gimme a gun to cut anyone down
Who don't agree that I’m "number one"
The coolest gangsta in town.

SHE SANG:

Hey big shot
You gonna be the toughest guy in jail
Watcha gonna do when hardcore wants you
Who'll hear your weeping and your wail?

You can bend to the pressure
or collapse under the weight
Jesus died for your sins, inside
To give you a fresh clean slate

And it's never too late. . .

To raise your goals
To heal your soul,
To raise your goals
To be a kid again
To dig yourself out from your hole
In Jesus you’ve got a friend

So listen up and listen good
I know it gets tough down in the hood
but if you would just look up. . .
And look inside

Santa is the image of the spirit
Imagination is the ride

YES. . .

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

© 2004 D. Rulliere, Ritt , Terry C. Graham

up for grabs

maybe "the coolest little gangsta in town"....would make him younger again....?

or

What do you want for Christmas son?...dunno
Hey gimme a gun to cut anyone down
Who don't agree that I’m numbero uno
The coolest little gangsta in town.

and its never too late. . .

BRIDGE

To ressurrect your goals
To heal your derelect soul,
It's never too late to be a kid again
So dig yourself out of the hole
The Master has paid the toll
In Je. . .sus. . . you’ve got a friend.

Terry

What do you want for Christmas son?...dunno
Hey gimme a gun to cut anyone down
Who don't agree I'm tougher than my bro
Yeah I'm the coolest little gangsta in town.

Hi Tall T

derelect, seems a little out of charachter for this song, too "good"

maybe

dissenting

kinda a trade off from ect to s



[This message has been edited by sweetjoyce (edited 12-04-2004).]

I know what you mean Ritt. . .

but the added rhythm of the internal rhyme (resurrect/derelect)
compensates for any semblance of things "pedestrian"
and justifies its application.

"Derelect" is very applicable to many lives.

errant soul?

Try a few other adjectives with soul.

I had to get into "ressurrect" which takes it to that level because your line about "goals" needed help; i.e, you said:
"Raise your goals"
which was kind of vague. . . unless "revive" or "ressurrect" is applied to clarify it.

Did you mean choose higher goals?

TT

what can I say - I live in a sleepy northern English town, not too far from the Beatles' and the Hollies' birthplace. I don't speak the language of the Bronx. I'm trying to get into the mindset - and I'm learning all the time. Bear with me - it's sometimes like a foreign language to me!

Tall T and Diane

not to worry girl, can we trade places lol

Derelect it is!!!

off to manhattan for some mexican!!!!

me thinks this is looking good!!!

ok gang, is this where we are at?

Christmas Is For The Children (Imagination Is The Ride)

When it snows and the clouds hide the stars
‘Round Christmas time they listen for the sound
Of rudolf, dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen,
So they know when Santa is chimney bound.

But don’t talk to me of snow and stars
And endless reindeer lists of names
That kids round here are stealing cars
Usin’ real guns to play their games

BUT SHE SANG:

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

Still thunder rolls in troubled souls
Up against the wall. . .

What do you want for Christmas son?...dunno
Hey gimme a gun to cut anyone down
Who don't agree that I’m numbero uno
The coolest little gangsta in town.

SHE SANG:

Hey big shot
You gonna be the toughest guy in jail
Watcha gonna do when hardcore wants you
Who'll hear your weeping and your wail?

You can bend to the pressure
or collapse under the weight
Jesus died for your sins, inside
To give you a fresh clean slate

And it's never too late. . .

To ressurrect your goals
To heal your derelect soul,
It's never too late to be a kid again
So dig yourself out of the hole
The Master has paid the toll
In Je. . .sus. . . you’ve got a friend.

So listen up and listen good
I know it gets tough down in the hood
but if you would just look up. . .
And look inside

Santa is the image of the spirit
Imagination is the ride

YES. . .

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

© 2004 D. Rulliere, Ritt , Terry C. Graham

And it's never too late, she'd say. . .

To ressurrect your goals
Skip the windswept shoals
It's never too late to be a kid again. . .
There's a bridge on the river of soul
The Master has paid the toll
In Je. . .sus. . . you’ve got a friend.

If you find yourself out of debt
The master has paid your bet
In the Spirit, you are a friend.

Terry

Morning Tall T

hmmmmm if that is replacing this

So listen up and listen good
I know it gets tough down in the hood
but if you would just look up. . .
And look inside

Santa is the image of the spirit
Imagination is the ride

I have to disagree, I feel as stated now, it creates the perfect ebb and flo going into the final chorus.

perhaps though the

but if you would just look up

could use updating to something stronger

going into the inside line inside being a strong one word phrase in this song, I would like to keep it....

maybe this will work?

So listen up and listen good
I know it gets tough down in the hood
"But if you can check your foolish pride"
And "just for one moment" look inside....

You will find

Santa is the image of the spirit
Imagination is the ride

YES. . .

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

Well done Ritt and Tall Terry! You've come up with something pretty fine!

I'm sorry I've been too jet-lagged to make much of a contribution to it - but you managed great without me!

one teeny weeny pedantic point - it's derelict not derelEct!

Diane

Diane

no need to apologize, your concept set the tone for an unusual Christmas song, and you basically wrote two verses, be proud!!!!

but on to more important things

check out THE SPACE BETWEEN VIDEO!!!

http://www.randomnoisemusic.com/

Finished??????? well it works for me, how about you two, Diane and Tall T

Christmas Is For The Children (Imagination Is The Ride)

When it snows and the clouds hide the stars
‘Round Christmas time they listen for the sound
Of rudolf, dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen,
So they know when Santa is chimney bound.

"Please" don’t talk to me of snow and stars
And endless reindeer lists of names
That kids round here are stealing cars
Usin’ real guns to play their games

BUT SHE SANG:

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

Still thunder rolls in troubled souls
Up against the wall. . .

What do you want for Christmas son?...dunno
Hey gimme a gun to cut anyone down
Who don't agree that I’m numbero uno
The coolest little gangsta in town.

SHE SANG:

Hey big shot
You gonna be the toughest guy in jail
Watcha gonna do when hardcore wants you
Who'll hear your weeping and your wail?

You can bend to the pressure
or collapse under the weight
Jesus died for your sins, inside
To give you a fresh clean slate

And it's never too late. . .

To ressurrect your goals
To heal your derelect soul,
It's never too late to be a kid again
So dig yourself out of the hole
The Master has paid the toll
In Je. . .sus. . . you’ve got a friend.

So listen up and listen good
I know it gets tough down in the hood
"But if you can check your foolish pride"
And "just for one moment" look inside....

You will find

Santa is the image of the spirit
Imagination is the ride

YES. . .

Christmas is for the children
And the child within us all
Winters chill warmed by the thrill
of love's answered call

© 2004 D. Rulliere, Ritt , Terry C. Graham



[This message has been edited by sweetjoyce (edited 12-06-2004).]

Looks good to me Ritt!

where are you Tall Terry?

Well Diane, according to Meatloaf, and Diane Warren, two out of three ain't bad....

I have a guestion for you though

do you have any idea who "She" is as in "SHE SANG"?

Hi guys,

Sorry, but a tad sad today.

This doesn't quite work for me as "uno" and "dunno" only "look" like they rhyme
but don't when you say 'em -- except for the 'o', that is.
An aspiring gansta wouldn't call himself "little" I don't think.

Maybe back to "son" and "one"?

What do you want for Christmas son?...dunno
Hey gimme a gun to cut anyone down
Who don't agree that I’m numbero uno
The coolest little gangsta in town.

Also, here's a good line for the bridge:

Ressurrect your goals
Save your shipwrecked soul
It's never too late. . .

"She" was meant to be the good guy "Diane", in the initial dueling opinion, soft guy/tough guy scenario that you guys seemed to be setting up.

I haven't studied things very closely after that first draft I wrote though. . . but patience.

Terry

[This message has been edited by Tall_Terry (edited 12-07-2004).]

number one works for me

don't know how shipwrecked, fits in with an inner city kid??? Wounded soul might be more in context....ok Tall T, now that you're here, who is "she" in "SHE SANG" , well it's hard enough to find one good singer no less two? Hmmm if you want to keep something close to the ect type sound and still be street wise, perhaps, "Messed up" soul

[This message has been edited by sweetjoyce (edited 12-07-2004).]

What do you want for Christmas son
Gimme a gun to cut anyone down
Who don't believe that I'm number one
The coolest little gangsta in town

This is good. Like the internal rhyme with "son" and "gun" - it flows nicely.

"she sang" - I was wondering about that too. I'm not the good guy Terry! I'm the cynical one!

To save your synical soul?

Why are you sad Terry?

Hi Diane

yeah i agree, and i like the little cause little guys like to brag about how they are little but tough....btw guys, i think after driving a taxi on the graveyard shift in new york city for twenty four years and counting, it should qualify me for having a better understanding of street lingo than most. Tall T, you seem to have a need to "prettify" this song, which is not always needed. As per the She, i can't see why or how it works any better than a guy singing....let's see Diane if you're cynical, and Tall T is clinical, what does that make me....?

....too damned smart!!!

hope it's not too uncomfortable sitting on a pinnacle!

Diane,
"synical" is great. . . your Dylan is showing

I drove cab in Toronto for two years Ritt so you can't pull rank on me

I still say young kids bragging don't call themselves "little". . . that runs counter to
the bragadosia. I'm not sure what age we're dealing with, but I've taught kids drums from age 8 to 14.

------------------
TallT

and i was thinking....lynrical....oh well...

...bragadosia - hmmm what a lovely word - I like it. Please enlighten a sheltered English lass as to its meaning. I want a chance to use it in conversation!!

lynrical??? - well if you're going to make words up.....

"Lyrical" is very interesting!
Put it in the margin in brackets for inclusion at a songwriter's open stage

Diane,
"Bragadosia" example:

Muhammed Ali
"I am the greatest; I am so pretty!"

TT

lets see two years of Driving a taxi in "Darryl" land vs twenty four years in the badlands....c'mom Terry are you kidding me or what?

I've taught boxing, you know a tough guy sport, to kids in the same age group and trust me, the little ones, always brag about how they're little but tough....Yeah I'm pulling rank....what of it???

[This message has been edited by sweetjoyce (edited 12-07-2004).]

So it's just a more colourful way of saying bragging? Ok.

Hey guys! - a little too much bragadosia going on here! settle down kiddiwinks!

it's lynrical, not lyrical....anyways my original concept was to have "Calvin" compose this song, a real tough, but sweetheart of a guy, and let him decide which words go where....

on a lighter note, is it just me, or is it the older Dylan gets the more he looks like "Carlos Santana.....???

hope Calvin's up for it Ritt. It would be great to see this journey through to a finished song. I for one, have enjoyed the ride so far!

Note to Tall T, the Calvin thing is not a slap in the face....remember Fleetwood Mac, did the multi million seller "rumors" when they all were at each others throats...Calvin Composed my other Christmas lyric, Christmas Kisses, and did a masterful job!!!! Diane ....shhhh but Tall T and Calvin, are in a disagreement at the moment....shhhhh

just search on soundclick artist...Calvin Stewart, to see what i'm talking about!!!

Last time anybody went out for Mexican they all got into the habe~nero sauce and things got a little caliente!
Pete

follow this post

http://www.justplainfolks.org/ubb/Forum48/HTML/008540.html

and see i really did ask Calvin to compose this....

I hope i'm imposing, but just an idea.

What do you want for Christmas sonny?


I wants, a compact semi- auto- matic
with a thrity round mag, a pair of airs,
and a duffle bag.

I wanna stand in the dark with my black
bandanna, poke a few holes in your fat
little santa.

wants to rob the sleigh and slay the deer
to make my point perfectly clear, we dont
want your kind around here.

with dat jingle bells chit and Holiday cheer.

Fix.

woooohooooo fix I love it....!!!!

thanks!!!!!!!