Holiday Single — Baroque Rock / Christmas
Merry Christmasfrom the Kitchen
A Winter Concerto for Paddle and Strings
Deadpan chant · Duet · With apologies to Vivaldi
▶ Listen
Intro — full strings, driving
Verse 1
Stamp your feet. Stamp your feet.
Teeth are chattering to the beat.
Ice on the court. Ice on the line.
Slip. Slide. Get up. I'm fine.
Teeth are chattering to the beat.
Ice on the court. Ice on the line.
Slip. Slide. Get up. I'm fine.
Now, Dink! Now, Drop! Now, Lob and Block!
On, Erne! On, Bert! On, Reset and Smash!
On, Erne! On, Bert! On, Reset and Smash!
To the top of the net! To the back of the court!
Dink away! Dink away! Dink away, all!
— Chorus again · oh, oh, oh —
Verse 2
Cold. Cold. Cold hands.
Frozen paddle, frozen stance.
Lights on the fence in red and green.
Coldest, sweetest game I've seen.
Frozen paddle, frozen stance.
Lights on the fence in red and green.
Coldest, sweetest game I've seen.
Now, Dink! Now, Drop! Now, Lob and Block!
On, Erne! On, Bert! On, Reset and Smash!
On, Erne! On, Bert! On, Reset and Smash!
To the top of the net! To the back of the court!
Dink away! Dink away! Dink away, all!
— Hoh! · Instrumental —
Bridge
nearly bare — held strings, soft harpsichord
Down on the ice, the sky is white and still.
I hear the strings of winter in the chill.
A hand comes down and I am pulled up.
Best gift of all is playing with you.
I hear the strings of winter in the chill.
A hand comes down and I am pulled up.
Best gift of all is playing with you.
Now, Dink! Now, Drop! Now, Lob and Block!
On, Erne! On, Bert! On, Reset and Smash!
On, Erne! On, Bert! On, Reset and Smash!
To the top of the net! To the back of the court!
Dink away! Dink away! Dink away, all!
— Bridge again · Chorus again —
Outro
strings drop out — half-spoken
Merry Christmas from the kitchen,
and to all a good game!
and to all a good game!
— Strings & bells —
Liner Notes
Eight shots, eight reindeer. Dink, Drop, Lob, Block, Erne, Bert, Reset and Smash take the harness in the order of the old roll call, and the sleigh has not been the same since.
The strings answer to Vivaldi's "Winter," whose own sonnet already had the stamping feet, the chattering teeth and the slip on the ice. The ice was in the music all along. The kitchen is where it goes quiet.