STORY OF THE SONG - Santa Claus stays away from the ghetto

It is Christmas Day and The Sunday Gleaner again focuses on two Jamaican Christmas songs which have proven themselves perennial favourites.

Mel Cooke, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Tommy Cowan wrote Santa Claus (Do You Ever Come To The Ghetto?) for the supposed season of good cheer more than 25 years ago, but he saw its relevance extend beyond the season of parties, presents and praise.

"Santa Claus is not just the fat man, Santa Claus, but, in society, how we treat each other," Cowan said.

Sung by Carlene Davis, the song is far from the improbable list of toys Mr Claus would be chuckling over in his North Pole home, as it asks in the chorus:

"Santa Claus, do you ever come to the ghetto?/ Santa Claus do you ever wonder why we suffer so?"

Cowan said the song shows where his mind was at the time, telling The Sunday Gleaner he was focused on the social concerns of people.

"I think at the time I was writing a set of revolutionary songs," he said, referring to an album titled The King's Music.

"One of the things that struck me was just looking at how Christmas was advertised, how it was appealing to shoppers. You would see it in the uptown stores, you would see people light up their trees," he said.

However, as Cowan wrote in Santa Claus (Do You Ever Come to the Ghetto?), for the poor 'good ol' St Nick' was literally a distant figure. He refers to the line "we see you in the paper/ you're on TV", and the question, "is it because we no have chimney?"

"When you see a man with a chimney he is a man of means," Cowan said.

Then there is the verse which speaks to having had a rough time ("all year long we been beaten down, crying") and the expectations of a reward ("we aint gonna fight, aint gonna fuss, where are the presents that you brought for us?").

"Where is the reward?" Cowan demanded.

Santa Claus (Do You Ever Come To The Ghetto?) was recorded at Joe Gibbs' studio, Bubbler (keyboards), Mikey Boo (drums) and Bo Pee (guitar) among the musicians. Davis doubled up, singing backing vocals as well as lead, and Dean Fraser also contributed to the harmonies.

Cowan had been to another studio before and was explaining the song to a producer. He asked Cowan to share exactly what he had in mind and then started writing down the lyrics. Realising that piracy was afoot, Cowan said, "I just twisted the lyrics into some foolishness, like 'Santa do you like ackee, saltfish'."

Santa Claus (Do You Ever Come To The Ghetto?) has lasted, Cowan pointing out that the appeal goes right across the Caribbean.

It has been a staple for Davis, especially in the Christmas season, but just as the song was intended to question more than only the season of good cheer, it has been requested outside of December.

"I remember doing events out of season and people ask for it," Cowan said. "I have done church concerts and they ask for it."

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  'Meaning of Christmas' comes to Barrington Gardiner

The Meaning of Christmas came easily to Barrington Gardiner, the acrostic song flowing "through my brain, into my hands, on the paper," as he tells The Sunday Gleaner.

So he wrote a line for each letter of the time of year when little children glow with anticipation, shopping malls overflow, parties are many and merry, and frustrated drivers honk maybe as frequently as revellers toot their horns to welcome the New Year as the season closes.

However, The Meaning of Christmas does not get into the hustle and bustle of shopping or the glee of partying. The ballad, instead, speaks to the general feeling of well-being in late December, as well as the significance of 'the season of good cheer', which lasts long after the food has been eaten and the presents become ordinary.

Barrington Gardiner wrote:

"C is for Christmas, the season of good cheer

H is for happiness, to last throughout the year

R is for respect, which each and all must show

I is for indulgence, to know how far to go"

He did not set out to write a Christmas song when The Meaning of Christmas came at the end of summer, 1960.

"It was a day like any other day, but I got an inspiration. I was writing other stuff but the Christmas carol came to me," he said.

He did not have to do any rewrites and editing, as "it came to me one time, exactly as it is today."

Hit on the charts

Gardiner did not have to go very far to find someone to sing The Meaning of Christmas, his brother Boris providing the vocals, and his band, The Rhythm Aces, doing the music close to Christmas 1960 for Island Records. As Barrington described the natural flow of the song, from mind to paper, and then brother to brother, it was the same thing. "He knew exactly how to sing it".

The Meaning of Christmas soon made it on to the charts, Gardiner said it peaked at number two on the then Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation's countdown. However, he laughed as he said, "financially, it was a disaster".

Gardiner said when he was writing the song he "knew it was good, but I did not make any predictions". Now, he notes that "it has outlasted many songs I thought would have lasted", and there is even a new interpretation, with the same melody, but different meanings given to the days of Christmas.