Over the River and Through the Wood | Xmas Sing-a-Long

Over the River and Through the Wood | Xmas Sing-a-Long

 

The Lyrical Literacy podcast explores a festive adaptation of "Over the River and Through the Wood," transforming Lydia Maria Child's 1844 Thanksgiving poem into a Christmas journey. This reimagined version retains the beloved sleigh ride to grandmother's house while introducing rich holiday imagery—twinkling lights, holly-adorned doors, hanging stockings, and the peaceful glow of church bells. The adaptation creates an immersive Christmas experience through eight verses that follow travelers across snowy landscapes toward the warmth of family celebration, capturing both the physical journey and the spiritual essence of the Christmas season.

Over the River and Through the Wood 

Over the river and through the wood  
To Grandmother's house we go  
The sleigh is packed with gifts and cheer  
For Christmas lights are aglow  
Over the river and through the wood  
The carols and songs we hear  
The melodies ring as the joy they bring  
Fills hearts with Christmas cheer  

Over the river and past the trees  
The starry sky shines bright  
The warmth inside and the Yuletide tide  
Make this a holy night  
Over the river and through the snow  
The holly's on the door  
We gather around where the joy abounds  
With Christmas love in store  

Over the river and to the fire  
Where stockings hang with care  
With stories to tell and the midnight bell  
The Christmas spirit's there  
Over the river and through the snow  
The Christmas tree stands tall  
Its twinkling lights in the frosty night  
Bring joy to one and all  

Over the river, the sleigh bells ring  
Their music fills the air  
With laughter and cheer we draw ever near  
To Christmas memories fair  
Over the river, the church bells chime  
Proclaiming peace tonight  
We lift up our song as we ride along  
To greet the holy light

 

#LyricalLiteracy #ChristmasClassic #OverTheRiver #HolidayTraditions #WinterJourney #SleighRide #ChristmasCarol #FamilyGathering #HolidaySongs #PublicDomainAdaptation

Origin:

"Over the River and Through the Wood" was originally written by Lydia Maria Child in 1844 as "The New-England Boy's Song about Thanksgiving Day." Published in her book "Flowers for Children, Volume 2," it depicted a sleigh journey to grandfather's house for Thanksgiving. Child was an American abolitionist, women's rights activist, and author. The poem was later set to music and became a popular holiday song. Over time, many adaptations shifted the focus from Thanksgiving to Christmas, as seen in this version which replaces harvest themes with Christmas imagery while maintaining the cherished sleigh ride framework.

 

Humanitarians AI https://music.apple.com/us/artist/humanitarians-ai/1781414009 https://open.spotify.com/artist/3cj3R4pDpYQHaWx0MM2vFV https://music.youtube.com/channel/UC5PUIUdDRqnCoOMlgoAtFUg https://humanitarians.musinique.com https://www.humanitarians.ai/