An Anti-Carol
As performed by Frankie Armstrong
on her album, Songs and Balads


Here is me, singing this. 3.7 MB MP3



It wern't no picnic; it wern't no picture postcard
It was cold as taters in the mode
when the couple come lookin for a room
Cold sholdered they were
when the landlord looked at her and saw the baby in her womb
Cold comfort they got
Was there are room? There was not
The town was crowded for a start
and it was cold, cold, cold, cold as a begger-boy's heart
 
It could have been in Jobug, Detroit, Chitigon, Calcutu
So long since it happend; I'm wrong it happened yesterday
It happens now more and more-
Then somebody said he could lend'em a shed
and bed 'em down on the floor
Just concrete and iron
and a blanket to lie on
they'd been walking all day
and their home was such a long, long, long, long, long way away
 
The never heard no angels- just the old police siren
when the light come fumbling through the night
her water's broke and the kid began to come
Is there a doctor no fear? Only poor people here
What would you pay him with, John?
There was ice on the door
she sweated, he swore
He saw the head of his child
and then together, him and her helped it into the world
 
There wern't no cattle watching. Just a rat and twenty cock-roach
The kid cried. His dad soon had him washed and dried
and when his mother woke, she give him the breast
He shared his parents lovin and he was aire to their poverty
it was all they posessed
And then the rumor got round
There were soldiers in town
with orders, search and destroy
They didn't want to get waisted
they left town a bit hasty
The man, his wife and their boy, boy, boy, boy, young wife and new baby boy
 
He was their's; they made him; out of love, hope and suffering
God's son- or just another one more like millions born to slaves starve and die
Perhaps when he grows and sees how the world goes
he'll help to change it by and by
Let's hope the soldiers don't hang
this new son of mine
Like they done one before-
Will he bring peace or a gun
Whenever his kingdom does come
It will belong to the poor, poor, poor, poor, poor, the homeless and poor.