(Music by Nick Bicat, lyrics by Tony Bicat)
The past of man is cold as ice: He would not mend his ways. He strove for silver in his heart And gold in all his days. His reason weak, his anger sharp, And sorrow all his pay, He went to church but once a year, And that was Christmas Day. So grant us all a change of heart, Rejoice for Mary’s son; Pray, Peace on earth to all mankind, God bless us everyone!
The present man is full of flame: He rushes here and there. He turns away the orphan child, The widow in her chair. He eats for ten, he drinks for twelve, Forgets how brief his stay, And stands a-jingling of his change In church on Christmas Day. So grant us all a change of heart, Rejoice for Mary’s son; Pray, Peace on earth to all mankind, God bless us everyone!
The man to come we do not know: May he make peace on earth, And live the glory of the Word, The message of the birth, And gather all the children in To banish their dismay, Lift up his heart among the bells In church on Christmas Day. So grant us all a change of heart, Rejoice for Mary’s son; Pray, Peace on earth to all mankind, God bless us everyone!
bookmark
Yes, God bless us - everyone.
It’s a perfect version of Dickens’ story. A high point in Scott’s career. Who would have ever imagined George C. Scott as a definitive Scrooge? So glad it all worked out that way.
Alistair Sims’ very atmospheric black-and-white British version is also an enduring classic.
I believe this is the best version. It is also on ROKU channel right now.
Personally, I like the 1999 version w/ Patrick Stewart.
Critics seem to agree the 1951 version w/ Alastair Sims
most closely follows Dickens’ classic book.
There are at least 20 different film versions...
This is my favorite as well. George C. Scott is a truly great actor, one of the all-time greats, and he is magnificent as Scrooge.
I never really liked George C. Scott, or the Dickens story itself. UNTIL, I saw this version 30 some years ago.
Watched it once and totally changed my view of both the actor and the story. I think this version is outstanding. Thanks, Kartographer for reminding us of it.
I’m with you, this version with George C. Scott is outstanding. I also enjoy the 1938 MGM version, and the ‘51 version with Alastair Sims. The 1992 Muppets version with Michael Caine is another good one. There’s another version from 1979 that I love: An American Christmas Carol, starring Henry “the Fonz” Winkler. It’s a made-for-TV movie, and it moves the setting to America.
I have this DVD.
A great movie .
Scott does a masterful job as Scrooge.
Thanks for posting these lyrics! This George C. Scott version is one of my familyâÂÂs all time favorites along with the 1970 musical version called Scrooge with Albert Finney playing both young and old Ebenezer.
that’s a great version. I’m a fan of ‘Scrooged’ which is the Bill Murray version, Karen Allen, Carole Kane.
My son went to see A Christmas Carol as a play at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Most of the cast was made up of blacks and Orientals. Naturally, it started out by acknowledging that the land on which the Guthrie sits once belonged to an Indian tribe.
Now he tells me that they’ve turned the play Anastasia into a mostly black cast.
My bet is that you will never see a white guy play Martin Luther King or a black play Ann Frank.
This story isn’t merely about the healing of the heart of a miserable old narcissist, A Christmas Carol is the story of the miraculous conversion to Christianity of a Jew.
one of my favorite versions of a Christmas Carol!