"Parson Brown," "married" deleted from "Winter Wonderland" song

Fox Saturday Morning | 12/23/12

[pabianice]

Was listening to Fox in the background. A local NYC kids' choir just sang "Winter Wonderland." You know, "In the meadow we will build a snow man, we'll pretend that he is Parson Brown, he'll say 'are you married?' we'll say, 'no, man', but you can do the job when you're in town..."

Except, the new words are, "we'll pretend that he's a circus clown..." and subsequent lyrics delete all reference to religion.

I find this repellant and just one more move toward making any reference to religion unacceptable. As a Jew I'm not up on Christmas songs, but is this what's being allowed to happen to our kids?

[nuconvert]

“a circus clown” ???

In the words of Charlie Brown : Good Grief!

[Rebel_Ace]

No need to get your knickers in a knot, that is just a later verse, as here are the complete lyrics:

WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song,
As we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say: Are you married?
We'll say: No man,
But you can do the job
When you're in town.

Later on, we'll conspire,
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid,
The plans that we've made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kids knock him down.

When it snows, ain't it thrilling,
Though your nose gets a chilling
We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

[stayathomemom]

I noticed that too.

[ReformationFan]

I’ve noticed this too although the change from Parson Brown to circus clown isn’t new. I remember hearing this version with the alternate lyrics many years back. However, the circus clown version of the song is getting more prevalent.

[Craftmore]

There have always been 2 verses for the last 50 years that I can remember.First refers to parson brown and getting married,second verse refers to circus clown and having fun with mr snowman untill the other kiddies knock him down.Lighten up both verses have always been there.

[Tammy8]

The reference to “circus clown” is supposed to be in a later verse about a snowman...did they just leave out two verses?

[john drake]

Step by step, day by day, the leftist/muslim alliance strip us of our Judeo-Christian heritage, until you wake up one morning and say “what happened”? Well, it’s happening, slowly but surely, and the real push will come when they try to destroy the 2nd amendment (underway) and then where do you go? Wake up, America, before it’s too late. Merry Christmas and a belated Happy Chanukah to our Jewish posters.

[Ouderkirk]

If Jews and Christians may not act to worship in the public square, then Judeo-Christian ethos - caring for a fellow man - has no place in policy making - or guilt tripping Jewish and Christian citizens to part with their wealth.

[hellinahandcart]

That’s been an alternate verse as long as I can remember. It’s not a new thing.

It just looks strange to hear little kids at a Christmas concert singing to Parson Brown about how soon he can marry them.

[miss marmelstein]

I just got a Christmas card that said: “Happy Winter!”

[hellinahandcart]

See, Johnny Mathis sang it that way the year I was born. Go to about 2:27.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldV1VKSWPu8

[miss marmelstein]

Thank God, I’ve never heard the alternate lyrics - which I reject outright. If it’s good enough for Mel Torme, it’s good enough for me.

Fie on this politically correct world!

[RummyChick]

Mathis sings about Parson Brown in that clip

[Mr. Know It All]

I just got a Christmas card that said: “Happy Winter!”

I got a Winter card that said "Merry Christmas!" What's going on in this country?!!!!!!

[9YearLurker]

I can’t think of how many hundreds of times I heard that song and never actually listened to what they were saying about the snowman.

[Joe 6-pack]

Don’t worry. Once gay marriage is forced on all the churches, the original lyrics will come back.

[Dr. Sivana]

In my public elementary school in the early 70s, we sang all of the Christmas songs including the religious ones. We ALSO sang a couple of explicitly Hanukkah songs. The Jewish kids sang ours and we sang theirs, and if anybody opted out, no big deal. (some of us mouthed EVERYTHING to get out of singing). Even outside of Christmas, we sung religious songs of obvious historical significance. As a Catholic, I found the words of Chester particularly parochial . “New England’s God forever reigns” sounds more like a collegiate fight song than a true hymn. As long as there is no chance of confusion, or saying anything that my faith would find blasphemous, no prob. No one thought I was Jewish because I sang “Tis the week of Hanukkah”.

[Mr. Know It All]

...but I did want to chime in and say that that lyric change was retarded.

[Andrei Bulba]

Until groups go there and throw condoms at those responsible we have no hope. This is said in all seriousness because that is how they achieved this “revolution”. You are not going to stop them by being offended. If you don’t want to take it back, kiss it goodbye.