The Old Year Draws to Its Close

As this venerable year draws to its close and the eve of a new year is upon us, I wish you a blessèd and joyous year ahead. The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you peace, the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. Amen.

And now, with thanks (and apologies!) to ABBA [to hear the song, click on the link and then click again where it tells you]:

HAPPY NEW YEAR

No more champagne
And the fireworks are through
Here we are, me and you
Feeling lost and feeling blue
It’s the end of the party
And the morning seems so grey
So unlike yesterday
Now’s the time for us to say...

Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have our hopes, our will to try
If we don’t we might as well lay down and die
You and I.

Sometimes I see
How the brave new world arrives
And I see how it thrives
In the ashes of our lives
Oh yes, man is a fool
And he thinks he’ll be okay
Dragging on, feet of clay
Never knowing he’s astray
Keeps on going anyway...

Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have our hopes, our will to try
If we don’t we might as well lay down and die
You and I.

Seems to me now
That the dreams we had before
Are all dead, nothing more
Than confetti on the floor
We’re through half of the decade
In another five years time
Who can say what we’ll find
What lies waiting down the line
In the end of 2009?

Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have our hopes, our will to try
If we don’t we might as well lay down and die
You and I.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.