[INTRO soft fingerpicked guitar only, then jaw harp adds a gentle pulse, a single harmonica phrase answers, no vocals yet] [VERSE 1 lead female voice solo, light guitar picking, jaw harp very soft] We were closing up the little village store Christmas Eve, half past nine, maybe more Snow was piling at the crooked wooden door When a stranger’s shadow crossed the floor [VERSE 2 second female joins in low harmony, same guitar and jaw harp, no harmonica yet] He said, “Every road I took was turning white Lost the signposts in the falling of the night Saw your candle like a ship’s lamp burning low So I followed to this harbour in the snow” [CHORUS all three women in close harmony, guitar strums a bit fuller, harmonica weaves a simple line between phrases, jaw harp keeps a gentle pulse] Light the lantern in the snow For every soul with nowhere left to go If the star once shone on a borrowed bed of straw Let our doorway be the same for rich or poor Light the lantern, let it glow That’s the heart of Christmas that I know [VERSE 3 back to lead voice with third singer adding a high soft harmony on the last two lines, guitar quieter, jaw harp and harmonica very subtle] We made space among the boxes by the tea Wrapped a blanket round his shoulders, poured him free He said, “Once I had a table, kids and fire Now I wander with a worn-out tyre” [VERSE 4 second and third voices add gentle harmonies on every line, guitar picking a little stronger, jaw harp on backbeats] So we warmed his hands and listened while he spoke Of the year that came and everything it broke Outside, church bells started ringing down the hill Inside, time stood kindly still [CHORUS all three again, slightly bigger, harmonica a touch more present between lines] Light the lantern in the snow For every soul with nowhere left to go If the star once shone on a borrowed bed of straw Let our doorway be the same for rich or poor Light the lantern, let it glow That’s the heart of Christmas that I know [BRIDGE voices almost a cappella: start with just the three women in harmony on the first two lines, then guitar and very soft jaw harp slip back in, no harmonica yet] Not a palace, not a crown Just a shuttered shop in a quiet town But the holy part, I think, is this Sharing what we have and calling it our gift [FINAL CHORUS all three women, strongest blend, guitar strum a little wider, harmonica answering the last lines, jaw harp steady but not loud] Light the lantern in the snow For every soul with nowhere left to go If the star once shone on a borrowed bed of straw Let our doorway be the same for rich or poor Light the lantern, let it glow That’s the heart of Christmas that I know Yes, light the lantern in the snow That’s the heart of Christmas that I know [OUTRO gentle guitar picking slows, jaw harp gives a last soft twang on the final chord, one faint harmonica line echoes the chorus melody, all fade out]
