The Crow on the Cradle - see below

Sydney Carter was a liberal Christian singer-songwriter. Some of his works were a bit too controversial for the more conservative elements in the Church of England.

Bitter Was the Night

This song expresses the feelings of Peter after he fulfills Christ's prophecy that Peter will deny him before the cock crows thrice.

Apart from Carter's own recordings, it has been recorded by Maddy Pryor and Franciscus Henri, both of whom have covered many of his songs.

Here is my performance and here are the lyrics.

The Crow on the Cradle

Sydney Carter wrote a lot of great thought-provoking songs. This is one of his most powerful, and also one of his most popular, having been recorded by Pete Seeger, Judy Collins and, many years later, Jackson Browne, Graham Nash and David Lindley at a No Nukes concert.

You can watch my video at the top of this page, and the lyrics are here.

The Devil Wore a Crucifix

A provocative comment on how the devil operates in the world today.

You can watch my video and the lyrics are here.

Every Star Shall Sing a Carol (Sydney Carter)

Sydney Carter was aware of the human desire for a spiritual dimension to our lives, but also of the difficulty many have accepting orthodox Christian beliefs. In this song, he shows his ability to understand the viewpoint of both believer and sceptic. It envisages Jesus as a kind of cosmic traveller, moving from planet to planet through the infinite universe. Wherever there is life there will be Christmas, in a kind of merging of theology with Science Fiction.

Here is my performance and here are the lyrics.

Friday Morning

This is Sydney Carter's most controversial song, and there were many calls for it to be banned by people who did not understand the irony, Conservative politician, Enoch Powell, being one example. The American Armed Forces even announced that they were removing it from their hymnal. Sydney Carter's comment: "Until somebody rang me up to say it had been taken out, I didn't even know it was there,"

Here is a video (sound only) of the song, and here are the lyrics.

Judas and Mary

In this song Sydney Carter explores the idea that Christ expresses in Matthew 25:40: "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Here is my performance, and the lyrics are here.

Lord of the Dance

This song, which uses the tune of the Shaker hymn, Simple Gifts, is Sydney Carter's most popular song. It is one of those songs that is so well-known it has become a bit of a cliche. There is nothing like singing a song over and over at school assemblies to turn you off it for the rest of your life!

The song, inspired not only by Jesus, but also by a statue of Nataraja (Shiva in his dancing posture), was written in 1963. Sydney Carter believed that churches would reject it as "probably heretical and anyway dubiously Christian," though it suited his own view of Christ as "the incarnation of the piper who is calling us. He dances that shape and pattern which is at the heart of our reality. By Christ I mean not only Jesus; in other times and places, other planets, there may be other Lords of the Dance. But Jesus is the one I know of first and best. I sing of the dancing pattern in the life and words of Jesus."

Here is my performance of the song, and here are the lyrics.


Here is a parody written by The Kipper Family, based in Norfolk, called Bored of the Dance. The lyrics are here.

Were You There? (Sydney Carter)

Another song by controversial Christian song-writer, Sydney Carter (1915-2004).

Like Judas and Mary, it is based on the idea expressed in Matthew 25:40 - "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Here is my performance and the lyrics are here.