’TIS the season to be jolly… Well, maybe not so much when there’s a General Election to be fought. And the first winter election campaign since 1923 could be bitter in more ways than one, despite it being so near Christmas.
There’s just so much at stake for Scotland’s future. That’s why we’re launching Carols for Canvassing – a seasonal, cheery, morale-boosting way to canvass for an independent Scotland through the chilly winter streets of Scotland while also having Christmas fun! You won’t even notice it’s freezing!
We’ve reworked classic Christmas songs, everything from We Want Our Independence (to the tune of Figgy Pudding), and O SNP (O Christmas Tree), to I’m Dreaming Of Our Independence (A White Christmas) and Indy Wonderland (Winter Wonderland).
There’s also a rousing pastiche mash-up of some Christmas pop classics such as I Wish For Independence Every Day (to the tune of Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, and Independence, I Gave You My Heart (Wham! Last Christmas) with the poignant second line, “But the Tories want to give it away…”
An early Christmas present to us all by way of an election version of a real indy favourite will also be unwrapped soon…!
It’s all been done in a spirit of good humour; all the songs can be downloaded free of charge in a festive song sheet from our site at www.amillionreasons.scot. We’ll be Tweeting away like a chocolate-crazed robin from @millionscottish so keep an eye out for it.
We hope that Carols for Canvassing groups will record themselves singing at iconic landmarks and on every street all around Scotland – if you send your videos to
Hazel@amillionreasons.scot, we’ll post them on our YouTube/Vimeo channels. Choral canvassers could also Tweet and Facebook their own videos.
Although the Million Reasons campaign is a grassroots platform for all Yes supporters, we feel strongly that this election is all about getting the SNP vote out to send a strong message to Westminster that we want nothing less than independence.
That’s the spirit in which these Carols for Canvassing have been written.
We haven’t “adapted” songs which are religious as we are sensitive to their traditional Christian context but we hope the positive message of caring for all Scottish citizens in an independent Scotland is reflected.
You could even raise money for local charities; the most tone deaf shakes the bucket?
We also want to echo the notable good nature and humour of indy marches and rallies.
The songs are all rights-free and easy to sing so anyone can singalong. Musical supporters could form “Yes Bands” to accompany the canvassers.
We’re delighted to announce The National will kindly be presenting the best videos of Yes/SNP Canvassing Choirs with prizes of bottles of National whisky, so start downloading at www.amillionreasons.scot and get singing!
Here’s an excerpt of just one example to help you get the idea:
Indy Wonderland
(to the tune of Winter Wonderland)
Yes bells ring, are you voting?
In the rain, snow or sleeting,
A beautiful sight
We’re happy tonight
Voting in a winter Scot-land.
In the meadow we can build a No-man,
And pretend that Boris is in town,
We’ll say, ‘End the Union’
He’ll say ‘No can’
So into a ditch we’ll send him rolling down.
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