Folky Irish Christmas: Der Prophet gilt im eigenen Landes bekanntlich nichts oder nicht viel. Umso beliebter ist der Irish Folk außerhalb Irlands — in Europa etwa, wie man hier gerne zum Kontinent sagt. In unserer kleinen Reihe der beliebtesten, bekanntesten und verkanntesten irischen Weihnachtslieder darf deshalb ein vermeintliches Trad-Stück nicht fehlen, das ein Amerikaner geschrieben hat und das in der Version der irischen Super-Folk-Group The Chieftains bekannt wurde.

Bells of DublinDie 1962 gegründete Folk-Band von der Insel scharte im Jahr 1991 zahlreiche bekannte Musiker um sich und nahm im Rahmen eines Fusion-Projekts ein Weihnachts-Album auf, The Bells of Dublin. Jackson Browne hat dazu seinen Rebel Jesus beigesteuert und tüchtig mit musiziert. Auch der etwas widerspenstige Text ist hörenswert:  And perhaps we give a little to the poor, if the generosity should seize us, but if any one of us should interfere, in the business of why there are poor, they get the same as the rebel Jesus. Wohl wahr.

 

Hier der Text: “The Rebel Jesus”
The streets are filled with laughter and light
And the music of the season
And the merchants’ windows are all bright
With the faces of the children
And the families hurrying to their homes
As the sky darkens and freezes
Will be gathering around the hearths and tables
Giving thanks for all God’s graces
And the birth of the rebel Jesus

They call him by the “Prince of Peace”
And they call him by “The Saviour”
And they pray to him upon the sea
And in every bold endeavor
As they fill his churches with their pride and gold
And their faith in him increases
But they’ve turned the nature that I worshipped in
From a temple to a robber’s den
In the words of the rebel Jesus

We guard our world with locks and guns
And we guard our fine possessions
And once a year when Christmas comes
We give to our relations
And perhaps we give a little to the poor
If the generosity should seize us
But if any one of us should interfere
In the business of why there are poor
They get the same as the rebel Jesus

But pardon me if I have seemed
To take the tone of judgement
For I’ve no wish to come between
This day and your enjoyment
In this life of hardship and of earthly toil
We have need for anything that frees us
So I bid you pleasure and I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus.