In February 2020 whilst in Colorado, USA, Mike Peters started to jot down some lyrics as the snow fell around him, a response theme he says in the video, to John Lennon’s Happy Christmas (War Is Over), writing a few lines as War Is Not Over and recording a very basic idea onto his phone.
On 8th January 2021 whilst on a walk in the snow near the church of Ss Mael and Sulien, Cwm, North Wales the idea of the lyrics came back to him and he started working on a new version of it using lyrics and ideas from the images that he has seen since that first idea came to him. The writing process took him back home working on the idea on an acoustic guitar with a base of standard G and C chords as per the original snippet on his phone. Once the words were written down and changed a few times, you can see this on the video with the print out having lines crossed through and new lyrics added, Mike and the whole family headed back to the church as the appropriate place to record the demo version to camera for the first time.
The original draft of the lyrics Mike was working from at home, note there is a verse in there that has changed from the one in the demonstration recording.
“A knife gets pulled on a South London Street
And a kid goes down he’ll never be free
While a mother weeps for the child she’ll never see
At Christmas or any other year”
.
Lyrics Colorado 2020 lyric idea stage
Happy Christmas war is not over
Happy Christmas there is so much to be done
See that person on the street with a coffee cup
Is not just down on his luck
Happy Christmas, war is not over
Jingles bells on the Christmas tree
Wild fires rage in the Southern Hemisphere
Greeting cards on the mantelpiece
While trees are being cut down in a South American field
Happy Christmas, war is not over
Lyrics 8th January 2021 demo version
Happy Christmas war is not over
Happy Christmas so much to be done
Street ministers kneel at the foot of a drunk
Who last saw God when he threw his faith up
They offer forgiveness but he never looks up
From the cup of wine and blood
Happy Christmas for the black and the white
Football stars take the knee as they try to unite
Shots ring out in the land of the free
And a man goes down along with liberty
While a man stays silent and washes his hands of the blood
Spilt in his name
Jingles bells on the Christmas tree
Wild fires rage in the Southern Hemisphere
Greeting cards on the mantelpiece
As another tree gets cut down in a South American field
Happy Christmas, war is not over
It’s not over, It’s not over
Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Happy Christmas lets hope it’s a good one
For everyone, the old and the young ones
While a nurse treats a new patient on a makeshift bed
Hospital radio says Do They Know It’s Christmas again
Come all ye faithful to cardboard city
Where the lonely people sleep beneath the Stars of Christmas Day
Silent night Holy Night,
Church bells ring out all across the the land
Come all ye faithful sing out
Sing out loud to the Ghost of Christmas Past
And the Ghost of Christmas to come
It’s not over, It’s not over
Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year
Visual & Audio Sources
1st Demonstration recording and background to the idea behind the song Was Is Not Over premiered on 9th January 2021 – Video link