mittens and socks

i listed these lyrics a year ago when i first started listening to this song pretty often, but this fall sufjan released it officially, and i've noticed that unlike most songs, the lyrics aren't on lyric websites, so people are coming here for the lyrics. if so, i'll just note that i transcribed these from listening to it (a year ago), so they may not be quite right--the only place i know i'm wrong is the uncle's name. if you're here for the lyrics, enjoy--thanks for stopping by. suffice it to say, i love this song, and it's the first one to have the lyrics posted twice.

come on! let's boogie to the elf dance by sufjan stevens (or boogey)

tie up your boots
jump off the ladder
pack up your clothes
nothing's the matter
mistletoe hangs up in the bedroom
your sister's bangs, she cut them herself

santa is here
sleigh bells are ringing
twenty one elves
they are all singing
kmart is closed
so is the bakery
everyone's home watching tv

santa claus is coming
hear the banjos strumming
santa claus is coming
hear the banjos strumming

chestnuts and fire
holly and hay
jesus and mary
what a great day
evergreen tree covered in snow
tower of babel tower of glow

there's aunt marie
and uncle bob
they give us good gifts
like mittens and socks

hijack a snowplow
clear out the streets
tell all the neighbors
there's cookies to eat

get up off the floor and get in the shower
there's a lot to shout about
santa claus is coming to town
he's got the greatest gifts around

away in the manger
no crib for a bed
little lord jesus lay down his sweet head
the stars in the sky look down where he lay
the little lord jesus asleep on the hay
the cattle are lowing the baby awakes
little lord jesus, no crying he makes

the chesapeake knight

probably the most fun and exciting thing for me in the last couple days involved writing an "epic" limerick for my niece. perhaps i'm stretching things to describe it both as "epic" and a "limerick" considering the definitions of the two words below (from infoplease's glossary of poetry terms):

epic
A long, serious poem that tells the story of a heroic figure. Two of the most famous epic poems are the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer, which tell about the Trojan War and the adventures of Odysseus on his voyage home after the war.

AND

limerick
A light, humorous poem of five usually anapestic lines with the rhyme scheme of aabba.


however, that's the best way for me to describe it. it's not terribly serious compared to the iliad, but it does tell the story of a heroic figure. there are twenty limericks (or twenty stanzas) making up a story about my niece, my brother, our cat, his dog, and my parents. for your reading pleasure, here's one stanza--if you'd like more, just email me for the poem in its entirety. i'm going to see what i can do about illustrations for it sometime over break, and then we'll see what can happen.

Well, the cat, he kept running all night
And swore they’d never ever catch sight
Of his black and white fur
‘Cause the real saboteur
Was Charlie, the Chesapeake knight.


so that's been a little of my excitement lately. nothing can really compete for my time as much as grading and teaching, but i try to work on dissertation and prelim exam work when i can. i am really looking forward to the end of this semester at this point, which is quite close in terms of time, but quite far in terms of work to be done.

the following are my month playlists from october and november, having made minimal changes to them lately. as always, i really appreciate when people introduce me to new and good music (not just new), so send me recommendations, especially if it seems slightly out of character with these playlists.

october 2006 playlist

friday i'm in love by the cure
sunny road byh emiliana torrini
smart went crazy by atmosphere
not an addict by k's choice
high hopes by pink floyd
to be young by ryan adams
popular mechanics for lovers by beulah
on the radio by regina spektor
long way down by guster
hubris by rebels victorious
how it should be (sha sha) by ben kweller
the beauty of the rain by dar williams
we are the champions by queen
sunset soon forgotten by iron & wine
because the night by 10,000 maniacs
untitled one by sigur ros
alien by bush
no surprises by radiohead
3rd planet by modest mouse


november 2006 playlist

no children by the mountain goats
for martha by the smashing pumpkins
keep it together by guster
i of the mourning by the smashing pumpkins
sugar pie, honey bunch by the temptations
wasted and ready by ben kweller
wild honey by u2
are you lonesome tonight? by elvis presley
nightswimming by r.e.m.
linger by the cranberries
i think i need a new heart by the magnetic fields
river by joni mitchell
everybody hurts by r.e.m.
in god's country by u2
just wait by blues traveler
don't be scared by andrew bird
bird stealing bread by iron & wine
i will follow you into the dark by death cab for cutie
where've you been hiding by architecture in helsinki
old college try by the mountain goats