O Tannenbaum

"O Tannenbaum" ("O Fir Tree") is a German song. Based on a traditional folk song, it became associated with the Christmas tree by the early 20th century and sung as Christmas carol. It is known in English as "O Christmas Tree".

History

The modern lyrics are due to Leipzig organist, teacher and composer Ernst Anschütz, written in 1824. A Tannenbaum is a fir tree. The lyrics do not actually refer to Christmas, or describe a decorated Christmas tree. Instead, they refer to the fir's evergreen qualities as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.

Anschütz based his text on a 16th-century Silesian folk song by Melchior Franck, "Ach Tannenbaum". Joachim August Zarnack (1777–1827) in 1819 wrote a tragic love song inspired by this folk song, taking the evergreen, "faithful" fir tree as contrasting with a faithless lover. The folk song first became associated with Christmas with Anschütz, who added to verses of his own to the first, traditional verse. The custom of the Christmas tree developed in the course 19th century, and the song came to be seen as a Christmas carol. Anschütz' version still had treu ("true, faithful") as the adjective describing the fir's leaves (needles), harking back to the contrast to the faithless maiden of the folk song. This was changed to grün "green" at some point in the 20th century, after the song had come to be associated with Christmas.^{[year needed]}

Melody

The tune is an old folk tune attested in the 16th century. It is also known as the tune of Es lebe hoch der Zimmermannsgeselle and of Lauriger Horatius.

O Tannenbaum

A bilingual performance of the first verse by the U.S. Army Band Chorus.

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Lyrics

Anschütz (1824)	One English version^[1]	Another version^[2]
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Wie treu^{[N 1]} sind deine Blätter! Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit, Nein, auch im Winter, wenn es schneit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Wie treu sind deine Blätter! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! Wie oft hat schon zur Winterzeit^{[N 2]} Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Dein Kleid will mich was lehren: Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit Gibt Mut und Kraft zu jeder Zeit! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, Dein Kleid will mich was lehren! ^ A common variation replaces the word "treu" (trustworthy) with "grün" (green). ^ Or "Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit."	O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, Your branches green delight us! They are green when summer days are bright, They are green when winter snow is white. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, Your branches green delight us! O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, You give us so much pleasure! How oft at Christmas tide the sight, O green fir tree, gives us delight! O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, You give us so much pleasure! O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree Forever true your colour. Your boughs so green in summertime Stay bravely green in wintertime. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree Forever true your colour. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree You fill my heart with music. Reminding me on Christmas Day To think of you and then be gay. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree You fill my heart with music.	O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree! How are thy leaves so verdant! Not only in the summertime, But even in winter is thy prime. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, How are thy leaves so verdant! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Much pleasure dost thou bring me! For ev’ry year the Christmas tree, Brings to us all both joy and glee. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Much pleasure dost thou bring me! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, How lovely are thy branches! Not only green when summer's here But in the coldest time of year. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, How lovely are thy branches! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, How sturdy God hath made thee! Thou bidds't us all place faithfully Our trust in God, unchangingly! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, How sturdy God hath made thee! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Thy candles shine out brightly! Each bough doth hold its tiny light, That makes each toy to sparkle bright. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Thy candles shine out brightly!

Other uses

The tune has also been used (as a contrafactum) to carry other texts.

Pop singer Jack Jones – "Gift of Love", recorded for his 1962 album, Gift of Love.
The Knights of Columbus – The Opening Ode is sung to this melody.^[3]
"The Red Flag"
Cornell University – "Evening Song"
Pop singer Joe Dowell – "A Kiss For Christmas", based on the melody and including a presentation of "O Tannenbaum".
Tianjin Nankai High School (Tianjin) – official school song
Nankai University (Tianjin, China) – university song
Chongqing Nankai Secondary School (Chongqing) – official school song
Maryland – "Maryland, My Maryland" – official state song
Iowa – "The Song of Iowa" – official state song^[4]
The Beta Theta Pi fraternity uses the melody for their song "Gemma Nostra"
The Phi Kappa Tau fraternity uses the melody for their song "Fireside Song" ^[5]
Florida – "Florida, My Florida" – former state song^[6]
Michigan – "Michigan, My Michigan" – widely believed to be the official state song
College of the Holy Cross – "O Holy Cross" – official school song^[7]^[8]
When traveling by bus, schoolchildren in Sweden use to sing "En busschaufför" (Swedish: "a bus driver") to the melody.
Tune for Scout vespers, sung at the end of ceremonial scouting functions
The tune was used for the national anthem ("O Parador") of the fictional country Parador in the 1988 film Moon over Parador.
In the SpongeBob SquarePants telefilm SpongeBob's Truth or Square, SpongeBob sings a song about the Krusty Krab to the tune of this song.

Cover versions

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) – instrumental, arranged by Vince Guaraldi.
Alvin and the Chipmunks for their album Christmas with The Chipmunks, Vol. 2 (1963).
The 1967 song "Snoopy's Christmas" cites in its introduction the first two lines of the second verse of the song in German.
Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) – traditional, sung in the film's introduction along with "Deck the Halls" and "Here We Come A-wassailing".
In 1992, Aretha Franklin's version of the song was released on A Very Special Christmas 2.
The 2001 Mannheim Steamroller album Christmas Extraordinaire includes a version of the song featuring Johnny Mathis on vocals.
The 2008 Bradley Joseph album Classic Christmas includes an instrumental version.
They Might Be Giants released an EP in 1993 containing "O Tannenbaum" which was recorded during a soundcheck.^[9]
Tony Bennett recorded the song for A Swingin' Christmas (2008).
"O Christmas Tree" was released on the 2010 album Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album.
Chicago included a cover version of "O Christmas Tree" on their 2011 album Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three.

References

^ 1970s?
^ 1910s?
^ Socratic Research Institute: Opening Ode
^ "New Citizen Civic Handbook, page 44" (PDF). sos.state.ia.us. 2006. Retrieved 26 December 2006.
^ "Phi Kappa Tau Audio". Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
^ "Rev. C. V. Waugh". Alachua County Library District Heritage Collection. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
^ "Holy Cross Alma Mater". College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
^ "Dartmouth v. Holy Cross band recap". Dartmouth College. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
^ O Tannenbaum EP at This Might Be A Wiki

Tobias Widmaier: 'O Tannenbaum' in: Populäre und traditionelle Lieder. Historisch-kritisches Liederlexikon des Deutschen Volksliedarchivs (2007).

External links

[3] A common variation replaces
the word "treu" (trustworthy)
with "grün" (green).

[4] Or "Wie oft hat nicht zur
Weihnachtszeit."

[1] 1970s?

[2] 1910s?

[5] Socratic Research Institute: Opening Ode

[statesong-6] "New Citizen Civic Handbook, page 44" (PDF). sos.state.ia.us. 2006. Retrieved 26 December 2006.

[7] "Phi Kappa Tau Audio". Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. Retrieved 21 January 2011.

[8] "Rev. C. V. Waugh". Alachua County Library District Heritage Collection. Retrieved 12 February 2008.

[9] "Holy Cross Alma Mater". College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved 20 December 2008.

[10] "Dartmouth v. Holy Cross band recap". Dartmouth College. Retrieved 20 December 2008.

[11] O Tannenbaum EP at This Might Be A Wiki

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