Last Christmas With Dad

I’m very pleased to be able to share a song with you which I’ve written for myself and NOT for any film or TV show! Writing and recording ‘Last Christmas With Dad’ has been a bit of a labour of love around other work deadlines but I’m very proud of the result. It began as a song about my dad (who died last year) but it somehow evolved to become more about the last two years of lockdowns, about the NHS, about the UK government…. Though it’s actually a very simple song so it’s stupid for me to make it sound so ‘high concept’ really! Anyway, all proceeds raised by the song will go to Mind and the Samaritans and, for that reason alone, I would dearly love for you to listen to it and share it with your friends if you feel inclined. Both of these organisations have become more invaluable than ever due to the isolation and mental health issues exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The fantastic Emily Denton sung the vocal, and I was able to get time in Abbey Road to record an orchestra and choir on the track too. I have many other people to thank for helping play and sing on this song, who are listed below, along with the lyrics.

I have released ‘Last Christmas With Dad’ jointly with in analysis, which is the band I set up a few years ago to create songs based on stories or thoughts contributed anonymously by members of the public. After initially inviting people to write about their mothers via the anonymous portal on our website, we released a first album of eleven songs, Mothers, in 2018. All proceeds from any releases by the band go to Mind and Samaritans. Emily Denton also sung one song on the album, Mother #75 (Safe Place) and other guest singers included Jon Boden (of the band Bellowhead) and Suzanne Rhatigan. We are working on album on the subject of LOVE.

You can listen to ‘Last Christmas With Dad (Tiny Red Lines)’ on:
Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube, Tidal and many other places.

Also, a VIDEO has now come out for the song and can be seen here:

A million thanks to Emily Denton, Guy Powell, Will Hewitt, Will Grayling & Jamie Roberts for making this happen. And also to Julian Wakefield (Teralon) and Ashley Wiggins (Randall Films) for allowing us to include their great footage of London during lockdown.

LAST CHRISTMAS WITH DAD – LYRICS:

Feels like the time all passed in a blur
Glued to the TV, rules changing so fast
It’s hard to remember how scared we all were
A crowd, a hug; they were things of the past
We came out of hiding and stood at our doors
Once a week for some brief well-intentioned applause

Two tiny red lines, though ever so faint
Divided us two years in a row
We kept our distance with little complaint
Though time was much shorter than we could know
Others fared worse than we did, so I’m
not saying we had it so bad
It’s just that it seems a very long time
since that last Christmas with dad

Even approaching a hospital bed
Felt like placing a bet in a high stakes casino
So they probably weren’t wrong when they said
“We’d better hold off on the next round of chemo”

Showered with curses, the doctors and nurses
Were working around the clock
There was death all around us, so I guess when it found us
It shouldn’t have come as a shock

Two tiny red lines….

We were made to feel fools for following rules
When we glimpsed through the windows of Number Ten
Champagne glasses clinking, you couldn’t help thinking
It was one law for us and another for them

Two tiny red lines….

Tiny red lines
Two tiny red lines
It seems a long time since that Christmas!

CREDITS:

Written by: David Schweitzer

Vocals: Emily Denton

Orchestration: Alec Roberts

Mixer: Paul Golding

Conductor: Alastair King

Contractor: Gareth Griffiths

Copyist: Tristan Noon

Violin solos / leader: Simon Blendis

Violins: Claire Howick, John Mills, Darragh Morgan, Jonathan Morton, Erzsebet Racz, Yuri Zhislin, Julian Leaper. Anna Blackmur, Jenny Godson, Martin Burgess, Ciaran McCabe, Paula Clifton Everest, Tom Crehan, Greta Mutlu

Viola solos / leader: Sascha Bota

Violas: Morgan Goff, Eoin Schmidt Martin, Stephanie Edmundson, Gary Pomeroy, Melanie Martin

Cello solos / leader: Jo Knight

Cellos: Alisa Liubarskaya, Ashok Klouda, Vanessa Lucas-Smith, Chris Graves

Double Bass: Leon Bosch

Trumpet: Graeme Flowers

Flute: Alyson Frazier

Horns: Richard Watkins, Nigel Black, Roger Montgomery

Drums: Mike Smith

Choir:  Hettie Burn, Bruce Boyd, Joseph Cryan, Emily Denton, Timmy Fisher, Matt Griffin, Natasha Holmes, Dorothy Hoskins, Nathan Hudson-Peacock,

Billie Hylton, Maddie Lovett, Martha MacBean, Daisy Rushton, Emma Secher, Jessica Thurtell, Paul Toal, Geoff Walker, Susie Ward, Jacob Werrin.

Guitars, Keyboards, Electric Bass: David Schweitzer

Artwork: Mary Richards

Record Label: East Prussian Archive

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Dedicated to Alex Schweitzer (1939-2021)