Happy Merry Lyric Contest

2002 Contest Winners

Adult: (to the tune of) "O Christmas Tree" | "Deck the Halls" | "She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain"
Young Person:
(to the tune of) "Jingle Bells"

MPR Photo/John Pearson
Dale Warland conducts his singers.
To the tune of: "O Christmas Tree"
Listen
O Hannukah, and Kwanzaa, Diwali, and the Soltice;
We can't decide what we should do to celebrate the mostest.
There's Boxing Day and Halcyon,
And Christmas was what we're raised on.
Whatever you may celebrate, we hope these greetings won't be late.

Kathleen Burns, St. Paul, MN


MPR Photo/John Pearson
The Dale Warland Singers record the winning lyrics on Dec. 19, 2002, in MPR's Maud Moon Weyerhauser Studio.
"Deck the Week with MPR"
To the tune of: "Deck the Halls"
Listen
Listening to MPR
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Keeps me sane while in my car.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
I'm not yelling "Jerk!" or "Pinhead!"
   Fa la la, fa la la, la,la,la
I stay cool with Dale and Jim Ed.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la

Cathy Wurzer's "blizzard warning"
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Means I'll get stuck 'til mid-morning.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
If the tow truck doesn't answer,
   Fa la la, fa la la, la,la,la
I'll just call up Katherine Lanpher.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la

Gary Eichten, man, I dig 'im
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Gettin' down with Day and Swiggum.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
When the wonk fest is unruly,
   Fa la la, fa la la, la,la,la
Later it's pure class with Julie.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la

How to make the drive home human?
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Share a ride with Bach and Schumann.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Though my rush hours all are frittered,
   Fa la la, fa la la, la,la,la
I don't mind, all things considered.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la

I can face a world of pressure,
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Breathing in a gross of fresh air.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Just in case the news makes you sick,
   Fa la la, fa la la, la,la,la
Through the night there's always music.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la

When the working week has ended
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Life is savvy, sound, and splendid.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Woebegon: there's none genteeler.
   Fa la la, fa la la, la,la,la
Yes, our norm's a night with Keillor.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la

Click and Clack, the Word they gabbeth,
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Pipes and dreams, and that's the Sabbath.
   Fa la la la la, la la la la
Even pledge breaks are a pleasure.
   Fa la la, fa la la, la,la,la
MPR, my Yuletide treasure!
   Fa la la la la, la la la la

Nancy Frick, Burnsville, MN


MPR Photo/John Pearson
Dale Warland prepares for the recording session in front of the production booth.
To the tune of: "She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain"
Listen
There are words that singers never get to sing.
It's so sad that there are words we never sing,
Like obsequious, complacent, polymorphic and adjacent,
Lots of words that singers never get to sing.

It's not fair that there are words we never sing,
Lovely words that singers never get to sing.
Paramecium, combusting, vacuum packed and self adjusting,
Useful words that singers never get to sing.

Temper tantrum, diaper rash and static cling,
Presbyopic, pterodactyl, silly string,
Granulated and pernicious, infotainment and auspicious;
All are words that singers never get to sing.

It's upsetting there are words we never sing,
Scads of interesting words we never sing,
Rutabaga, quadraphonic, trepidation and bionic,
Many words that singers never get to sing.

Some last words that singers never get to sing.
Four more words that singers never get to sing,
Velveteen and hypodermic, wattlebird and endothermic,
Gee, if only these were words that we could sing!

Michelle Dettman, St. Cloud, MN


MPR Photo/John Pearson
The Dale Warland Singers are accompanied by a piano.
To the tune of: "Jingle Bells"
Listen
I'd like my own PC, and maybe a pony,
A TV for my room, to brighten up the gloom.
A Gameboy would suffice, though an X-Box would be nice,
A cat, a dog, a bird, a fish,
would be my Christmas wish! Oh!

Chorus:
Santa Claus, Santa Claus
Don't wait til Christmas day.
I can't be good much longer, to my great dismay, oh!
Santa Claus, Santa Claus
I hope your sleigh is big,
so you can fit my presents in because I'm such a pig!

Nintendo 64, but wait there's still much more,
My stocking to the top, so full that it might pop.
A snowboard for the slopes, a surfboard for the sea,
These and many other things for you to bring to me!

Chorus

I'm running out of ink, but still I have to think,
There's so much more I need, but I'm not full of greed!
My list is coming to an end, but always it's the trend;
The catch is that my gifts must all be better than my friends'!

Chorus

Now I'm coming down to see, just what you've brought for me,
I see my stocking now, the sweat is on my brow.
But now I sense the hole, my stomach starts to roll,
For sitting in my stocking is just one big piece of coal!

Jennifer, 13, Plymouth, MN


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