Deadwing

Start Of Something Beautiful

Impossible Tightrope

sometimes_take 36

Saint Nick's Nocturne.mp3

Releasing this today for the Feast of Saint Nicholas—history’s most unlikely Christmas icon.
The spark came when Joe in Arizona was chatting with Mary from Beating Edge, who mentioned that St. Nick’s bones rest in her hometown of Bari, Italy. 
Joe wrote the song, and the band jumped in to bring it to life with their awesome playing skills and Joe had a blast attempting to channel Tom as he sang the vocals.

Credits:
Main Vocals, music and lyrics:  Joe 
Guitar & Backing Vocals: Mary
Synths: Mauro
Bass & Synth Bass: Davide
Drums & Percussion: Valerio
Mixed & Produced by Tom

Hope you enjoy it.

Copyright 2025
Lyrics

St Nicholas was born in Turkey in the fourth century AD.
He became the bishop of Myra, and was known for his generosity.
They say he tossed three bags of gold into a poor family's dwelling,
And he raised three boys from the dead — it’s a legend, but it sure sounds compelling.

How did a man who lived in Turkey,
In a land that’s warm and sunny,
End up in the North Pole with flying reindeer
If you think about it, it’s kind of funny.

Nicholas died of old age in Myra in the year three forty-three.
They buried him in a tomb expecting him to rest eternally.
The years went by, the tales grew taller and his legend continued to grow,
And it was a fact that relics of a saint could earn you quite a bit of dough.

It’s good to give gifts to family and friends,
And people in need,
But sometimes it feels
Like we’re being manipulated
To buy things we don't need.

In 1087,  there were sailors in two cities, Venice and Bari.
They decided they wanted St Nicholas's bones  so they raced across the Adriatic Sea.
The sailors from Bari got there first and they took those bones by force and deception.
They brought them back to Bari and they were greeted with a heroic reception.

You can take all the bad parts of the story that happen in real life,
Remove the uncomfortable dark parts and keep only the light.
We sing our Christmas carols and say it’s the most magical time of the year.
For a few days we ignore all the bad stuff as we spread the Christmas cheer.

Old Saint Nick, Old Saint Nick, he tried to help those in need.
Old Saint Nick, Old Saint Nick, now he’s a mascot for corporate greed.
Old Saint Nick, Old Saint Nick, he tried so hard to help the poor.
Now he’s a giant plastic figurine who smiles as you walk into the big box store.

As we sit there ripping the paper off our presents underneath the Christmas tree,
It’s good to remember there are people out there who are less fortunate than you and me.
Maybe we can be a little bit more like Old Saint Nick — maybe we can.
Maybe we can be a little bit more like Old Saint Nick.

The Pin Drop

Steven Wilson

Related tracks