Riu Riu Chiu

Christmas Carols Explained, 4

Continuing on with Spain, we’re going to head back to the Renaissance Era with Riu Riu Chiu, which doesn’t translate to anything, it’s kind of like the sound a bird would make. The song’s chorus has a refrain about protecting lambs from wolves, so the bird’s call is meant to be a warning of danger and a call to rally for protection against evil.

The overall thrust of the lyrics celebrates Mary being protected by divine power, and obviously there are metaphors about Christ as a lamb, etc. There are multiple verses to the song but most popular versions in English stick to one verse and a few repetitions of the cascading chorus. You can see that with The Monkees above.