A Child's Christmas in Wales

My favourite Christmas song is John Cale's "A Child's Christmas in Wales" which tends to hold on by a short head from Chris Rea's utterly timeless "Driving Home For Christmas" (seriously).

But Cale's masterpiece isn't really a Christmas song banging on, as it does, about Halloween and murdered oranges and the seduction of doors. Bizarre, unfathomable and utterly beautiful.

With mistletoe and candle green
To Halloween we go
Ten murdered oranges bled on board ship
Lends comedy to shame
The cattle graze bold uprightly
Seducing down the door
To saddle swords and meeting place
We have no place to go

Stick it on between Ella and Eartha during the Christmas meal and frighten the life out the relatives.