"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", sometimes called "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" was an ancient Earth Christmas carol. The lyrics were:
- God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
- For Jesus Christ our saviour was born upon this day
- To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray
- Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
- Oh, tidings of comfort and joy. (AUDIO: Voyage to Venus [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)
It was this song that was being played by a group of robotic Santas before they attacked Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith on Earth. (TV: The Christmas Invasion [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas special (BBC One, 2005).) The Santas also played it just before abducting Donna Noble in a taxi. (TV: The Runaway Bride [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2006 (BBC One, 2006).)
A group of children were singing this song when the Tenth Doctor arrived in London on Christmas Eve 1851, just before his encounter with Jackson Lake, Rosita, and the Cybermen. (TV: The Next Doctor [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2008 (BBC One, 2008).)
The song was also playing before Wilfred Mott entered a church commemorating "the Sainted Physician" where he first met the woman. It was also played by a brass band shortly before the Tenth Doctor regenerated. (TV: The End of Time [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2009 and New Year Special 2010 (BBC One, 2009-2010).)
A group of carol singers sang "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" outside Maisie Johnson's house. (PROSE: The Gift [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)
Carol singers sang "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" in Cardiff on Christmas Eve 1869. (TV: The Unquiet Dead [+]Mark Gatiss, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)
The melody of the carol was the same as that of the "Venusian lullaby" occasionally used by the Third Doctor to lull his foes into a state of tranquility. (TV: The Dæmons [+]Guy Leopold, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971)., The Curse of Peladon [+]Brian Hayles, Doctor Who season 9 (BBC1, 1972)., PROSE: Venusian Lullaby [+]Paul Leonard, Virgin Missing Adventures (Virgin Books, 1994).) Henry Gordon Jago and George Litefoot sang the song to a herd of Shanghorn on Venus to stop them from stampeding. After hearing the song, Ursina planned to change the lyrics and use it as the basis of the lullaby. (AUDIO: Voyage to Venus [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)
Professor Capra sang a version of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" to himself. (AUDIO: Flip-Flop [+]Jonathan Morris, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2003).)