The Royal Guardsmen and Snoopy's Christmas Song

Gert just found a copy of my all-time favourite Christmas song - The Royal Guardsmen singing 'Snoopy's Christmas'. Don't ask me how it became the song I most associate with Christmas(a German did once, and I had no idea) but the song was online and it's the song that meant Christmas was coming, wayyyy back in the beginning, close to the dawn of time, when I was the littlest of things.

Meanwhile, the Belgian is meeting me halfway on things Christmas, we won't be murdering some hapless pine tree for Christmas (sigh, I do like the smell of pine in the house), and he's stopped talking of a fake tree however, we will get ourselves a nice little live Christmas tree ... destined to become our first balcony plant. Anyway, the lyrics ... and if you're not familiar, then try and listen online.

Canons exploding ...
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, [Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree]
du kannst mir sehr gefallen! [Of all the trees most lovely]

The news had come out in the First World War
The bloody Red Baron was flying once more
The Allied command ignored all of its men
And called on Snoopy to do it again.

Twas the night before Christmas, 40 below
When Snoopy went up in search of his foe
He spied the Red Baron, fiercely they fought
With ice on his wings Snoopy knew he was caught.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ring out from the land
Asking peace of all the world
And good will to man

The Baron had Snoopy dead in his sights
He reached for the trigger to pull it up tight
Why he didn't shoot, well, we'll never know
Or was it the bells from the village below.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ringing through the land
Bringing peace to all the world
And good will to man

The Baron made Snoopy fly to the Rhine
And forced him to land behind the enemy lines
Snoopy was certain that this was the end
When the Baron cried out, "Merry Christmas, my friend"

The Baron then offered a holiday toast
And Snoopy, our hero, saluted his host
And then with a roar they were both on their way
Each knowing they'd meet on some other day.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ringing through the land
Bringing peace to all the world
And good will to man