Culture Club and Christmas

Culture Club and Christmas

-Waking up with the House on Fire-

By

C.M. Richards.

When I was of the age of eight and it was Christmas, the year was 1984.

I wished for something above all.

My own culture club LP,

That’s what I really wanted my parents to buy me.

I had ‘Colour by Numbers’ on cassette tape,

But on Christmas eve I found it hard to sleep, so I stayed awake.

For I had peaked under the Christmas Tree,

There was a present wrapped in the right shape, could it be?

The next morning I could wait no more,

I caught up with my sister who was already running down the hall.

Once we were in the living room, there were more presents under the tree, more than night before,

But that did not stop me from finding the LP-shaped package hidden amongst them all.

What meant the most to me as I ripped off the paper and read the card under the bow,

It was not from Santa, but from my father after all.

On the front of the cover was Boy George with his vermilion hair,

I now owned ‘Waking up with the house on fire, I did not notice any other gift, it was like there were none other there!

For the rest of the morning before we went for Christmas lunch,

I listened to the album so much.

By doing this I created my own memories, a list in my head.

These new Culture club songs became my Christmas carols, replacing my traditional ones instead.

Every time I hear this recording of songs,

I know Christmas is not that long.

But it feels like I say Hello and Goodbye, all too soon.

I even made a decoration of Boy Georges’ head, I stitched it with cloth and thread,

And every year I hand it on my Christmas tree as I listen to ‘Mistake Number 3’.

By that time I was feeling fine,

So I changed the track and got down to ‘Crime Time’.

I know when its time to play ‘Waking Up with The House on fire’ when the radio plays another song,

‘Do They Know Its Christmas Time at All?’ what a hit featuring Boy George and the Club, and of course I sing along.

I love the meaning and it makes me wonder,

If those that the song was written for, have they ever heard thunder?

So as you can see how Culture Club means its Christmas time for me,

Those songs and Georges voice fills me with glee!

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful new year

With love.

C.M. Richards.