“Writers are liars, my dear, surely you know that by now? And yet, things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.” - Neil Gaiman - Dream Country
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head "To me be as it pleaseth God, " she said, "My soul shall laud and magnify His holy name." Most highly favored lady, Gloria, Gloria
Why?: I think Sting has a lovely voice and is just perfect for Christmas carols. Apologies for the lateness of this post. I'm still in Christmas crunch time. Such is my life. This song is beautiful and a good slow, reflective counterpoint to the last minute frantic-ness that is the Christmas season for me.
Artist: the Eurythmics Title: Winter Wonderland Lyrics:
Later on we'll conspire As we dream by the fire To face unafraid, the plans that we've made Walking in a winter wonderland
Why?: Annie Lennox has an amazing voice. I wasn't aware of this version until about ten years ago when I made it a mission to fill my mp3 player with Christmas songs I liked for the season instead of having to listen to the drivel that top 40 radio deemed appropriate holiday music. In my travels, this came up. Between this and "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" I'm generally happy to hear it. Unlike Paul McCartney and David Bowie/Bing Crosby's songs that get overplayed starting in October.
The Eurythmics made this their song. It's not super jangly and grating. If you didn't know it for a Christmas carol, it could easily have become part of their regular set list so far as I'm concerned. Like Last Christmas by Wham!, this song sometimes sneaks into my regular playlist because Annie Lennox is such an amazing singer.
It's been a lovely blustery winter in Toronto in the last few days. Feels utterly Christmassy! I think it's a great song and a great way to celebrate the Winter Solstice. That being said... They're forecasting 10ºC on Monday. The chances of us having a white Christmas are quickly dwindling. You may hear me weeping and blasting Otis' version of White Christmas come Monday if all the snow is gone. And for my dear friends on the other side of the planet, happy Summer Solstice!
Artist: Mariah Carey Title: All I Want For Christmas is You Favourite Lyrics: 'Cause I just want you here tonight Holding on to me so tight What more can I do? Cause baby all I want for Christmas is you
Why?: DON'T JUDGE ME! This is a guilty pleasure for me.
A couple of things
to note here: a) I never worked retail so this song doesn't assault me
as it does for some people. b) If you hate this song, as I noted
yesterday, you can change the channel, or in this case, don't hit play. c) Yes, it's hokey drivel but then, what catchy Christmas song isn't?
Besides, there's some real truth behind the sappy sentiment in those quoted lyrics above. One day Paul may one day realise, I don't need anything else for Christmas. Okay! Everyone all together now... "Awwwww". 😍
Artist: Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews Title: Baby It's Cold Outside Favourite Lyrics:
There's bound to be talk tomorrow (think of my lifelong sorrow) At least there will be plenty implied (if you got pnuemonia and died)
Why?: While I know
the original version, this Tom Jones version was the first I'd ever
heard.
Of course, in recent context, even I was "Wow. Dude clearly can't take
no for an answer". But it's a narrative. Most songs, books, movies, TV shows, etc. are works of fiction or
commentary. This song is a story! A dialogue between two adults! Not all
stories have a moral ending. Sometimes they're just there for the sake
of being.
The song is dated. But after a few listens, I
was on the "this is just cute and hilarious couple banter" team. The lyrics are funny. Kudos to Frank Loesser for this lovely bit: 'Think of my lifelong sorrow if you got pneumonia and died'. To toss in the word 'pneumonia' into a song deserves some credit!
Last
year people (read: the media) took the issue of this song and blew it
out of proportion. Some people took the lyrics out of context and were
offended. It got pulled off the air. I inwardly cringed at the fiasco. I
had bad stuff going on in my life last year so the pettiness made me
hate everyone. Honestly. There's a point where you have to stop and
remember not everything from the past is going to fit nicely in the
present by our standards. Better to understand that this song was
written in 1949. And there are more serious things in this world to
worry about than dated song lyrics.
Many things we like are
dated. Try watching "A Christmas Story" or "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and not cringe on the cultural and societal incorrect moments. (Need help? The scene at the end of a Christmas Story where Chinese waiters are making an attempt to sing "Deck the Halls". Or the line in 'Rudolph' where his dad tells the women reindeer to stay at home because searching for his lost son was "Man's work." and the whole bullying undertone running through the whole story).
Christmas is about the nostalgia. It brings you back to the times you perceived as happier.
Enjoy the song for what it is, playful, risque banter between two adults and let's move along, shall we?
Artist: Tom Waits Title: Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis Lyrics:
And hey Charley I think about you Everytime I pass a fillin' station On account of all the grease You used to wear in your hair And I still have that record Of little Anthony & the Imperials
But someone stole my record player How do you like that?
Why?: I really enjoy songs that have a story to tell. There are some
pretty great songs that use Christmas time as a place to tell you a
story that's going to stick to your feels. Even George Michael knew
that. His is a typical story of heartbreak, but toss in that it happened
on Christmas and suddenly a run of the mill breakup story comes with
that much more "Aww".
Tom Waits is one of those phenomenal song writers
that are great story tellers too. And honestly, he could have pulled off
this song without adding Christmas to it. There is one song writer on
Instagram I follow that I think falls into that category of great song
writer, great story teller. A quick browse through his (*cough* @rustinmanofficial
*cough*) Instagram and you wonder why for is he not writing a book?
Read through the comments on any of his posts. I'm not the only one that
thinks so.
While 'Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis' is
most certainly NOT a Christmas carol, it's definitely got something to
say. I love Tom's husky raspy voice. I love the way he can just sit
there at a piano and belt out this song like he's making it up on the
spot. I feel like I'm in some dive bar and he's the musician on for the
night. I could easily sit there nursing that beer in a questionably
clean glass for hours, and go through a pack of cigarettes (when I used
to smoke) listening to the stories he wanted to tell that night.
And I would come back the next night, just to see if he's got more stories to tell. Such is the power of Tom Waits voice and story telling. Special thanks to Instabuddy @Alla who posted a list of some pretty great songs that had me revising this Advent list last minute. I'd forgotten about this song.
Artist: the Barenaked Ladies Title: Jingle Bells Favourite Lyrics: Jingle bells Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost it's wheel and the Joker got away Why?: I mentioned a while ago that I love acapella bands because they always seem to look like they're having fun. That also goes for these guys. Watch any of their live shows. They're having a blast. They hail from the same part of Toronto that I'm from and they will always have a soft spot in my heart.
Kudos to my fellow Scarberians for adding the coveted Batman lyrics to their recording of the song. Yeah...
it's a terrible song, but it's so much fun to sing. And the additional
Batman lyrics, no matter how old you are, are funny. Don't believe me?
Be the first person to teach a kid those lyrics. You won't be able to suppress your own laughter watching the kids giggle when they sing those
lyrics for the first time. Especially fun when there's a school pageant
involved. Christmas is supposed to be fun for the children. And being innocently naughty is always fun. I fully admit I was partially responsible for belting out the forbidden Batman lyrics when I was in junior school. It happened so many times in my youth. It is always a fun memory. And each memory is the same, by the time it was in full swing, the teachers had lost control and everyone was laughing, even some of the teachers though they'll never admit it to their students. Good holiday fun.
Artist: Celine Dion Title: Petit Papa Noel Lyrics:
C'est la belle nuit de Noël La neige étend son manteau blanc Et les yeux levés vers le ciel Why?:
When I was in grade 7, our French teacher decided we needed some culture and made us listen to Celine Dion before Celine Dion made it big and started singing in English. In true hipster fashion, I can tell you thanks to Mr. Harris, I knew about Celine before Titanic.
For the record, I don't recall if this was one of the songs he made us listen to by her, but he did play a version of this song. It stuck in my head and I actually quite like the song. It's cute and is mean to be super sentimental.
A lot of things happened to me when I was in grade 7 (read: I discovered boys!). So this song is exceptionally good at laying on the nostalgia super thick for me.
I remember this really nice, cute blond guy who I had a crush on since grade 4 and he knew it. He ended up going out with my best friend at the time. I wasn't really mad. He made it clear he wasn't into me, but he liked me fine as a friend. In fact, most of the boys I liked in school made it pretty clear they weren't into me. I remember one boy told me it was because I was so weird. I shrugged it off outwardly at the time (inside, it hurt, but I'm not here to make anyone go, 'Awww' and feel sorry for me today. I'll save my tearjerkers for later). But if you couldn't handle me at my subtle weirdness, you certainly weren't going to handle me at all with the weirdness cranked to eleven.
Ultimately,
of all the guys I wanted to date, he was the one who let me down gently, by staying my friend and treating me no differently than he did
before. We stayed friends up until he passed away two years ago. He was a super sweet guy and a great father. I see updates about his kids on his Facebook page occasionally and I know he'd be happy and proud of them. He was only a year older than me.
This is the time of year that has my mind going back to things long forgotten (or put aside because I didn't want to deal with feelings at that time). My friend is not long forgotten by any means, but some of my intense feelings for him have become a distant memory. I hadn't thought about him as being the subject of my childhood crush in many years. When he passed away I didn't have a chance to attend his memorial, so I never really got to share any of my personal memories of him with anyone else. I'm not sure why this song reminded me of him the other day when I found this song again after many years. He wasn't very good at French. Perhaps it may have been because he was forced to play Santa Claus at school once because he was the biggest guy in class. Memory is a weird thing.
Artist: Otis Redding Title: White Christmas Favourite Lyrics:
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know
Why?: Special thanks to Instabuddies @alla.pw who presented a list of holiday hits for me to go through and my vinyl sensei @threadpennyvinyl who verified just how great this version was before I had a chance to sit and have a listen.
I must sadly admit before this year, I think I only knew two songs by Otis Redding ('Sitting on the Dock of the Bay' and 'These Arms of Mine'). So far as Christmas carols go, this is one of those lovely hit-you-in-the-feels carols that are full of sentiment with a dash of melancholy. When sung right, the song makes one feel a little blue and nostalgic. When Otis sings, you're floored. There's no snow, and this is completely devastating. I can relate. I'm a winter baby and I live for this season. In Canada, the definition for a white Christmas is determined by the amount of snow on the ground at 7:00 a.m. on Christmas day. 2 cm or more, and Otis and I aren't lamenting over it. For the record, for the past 61 years in Toronto, the score for white Christmases is 20. Not great odds. Back in the day, the odds for a White Christmas in Toronto was also 50%. in the last 30 years, it's dropped to a 45% chance.
Artist: After Hours Title: Santa Claus is Coming to Town Favourite Lyrics:
He see you when you're sleeping He knows when you're awake He knows if you've been bad or good So be good for goodness sake
Why?:You know what's really great about this a capella group? I know one of the founding members personally. (That's not actually the reason these guys are great, but I figure I owe him since we've been fighting about winter on Facey and the weather for Summer Boy has really been pretty ick. I love winter so I've been rubbing in it his face every chance I get, including now, because he's going to see this blog post). He's a really great guy. Went to college with him. I discovered he had this a capella group with a few of his high school friends. I went to see them in concert and they're really, really good. Remember what I said about the a capella groups and how they look like they're having so much fun? These guys, clearly singing because they love singing. And you hear it. If you're in the Toronto area on December 14th and want to see some straight up awesome guys who are singing because they love it, drop by. I've posted the link for the event and on how to get tickets and stuff here - LINK
Failing that, they're preforming at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1 in the arrivals by door C and the Christmas Tree between 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. So if you're coming back to the YYZ or waiting for someone to arrive around that time, you'll have some sweet music to greet you.
Artist: Straight No Chaser Title: The Christmas Can-Can Favourites Lyrics:
Christmas, Christmas time is here, and Christmas songs you love to hear thoughts of joy and hope and cheer, but mostly shopping, shopping, shopping Christmas. Christmas time is here, the sleigh bells and red nosed deer songs and songs we love to hear all played a thousand times each year
Why?:
If you were going to explain to someone what Christmas was all about these days, this would be the song I'd pull up for reference.
The lyrics fall into the category of "it's funny because it's true." And do you laugh or cry because of the validity of it? As I said before, I chose to laugh. These guys are good and their shows are funny.
I discovered many moons ago I was a big fan of a capella and doo-wop music. Something about harmonizing barbershop quartets, giant choirs and generally, the amazing range of the human voice, is tremendously fascinating to me, largely because I don't sing myself. I think I love a capella groups such as these guys because they look like they're having so much fun. Straight No Chaser also do this lovely arrangement of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". It's perfect for the busy person. Need to get your Christmas fix on and a bit of 80s goodness for good measure but only have about three minutes and a half to spare for it? Look no further....
If God came down on Christmas Day I know exactly what he'd say He'd say "Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins But Oi to the world and everybody wins!"
Why?: Because Christmas needs more punk music! So... I wish I could tell you what it is about No Doubt and their cover songs that attract me so. I have no answers. This catchy piece was actually written and originally recorded by some friends of theirs, a group called the Vandals. Their version is posted below.
No Doubt were asked to contribute a song to the charity album "A Very Special Christmas - Vol. 3" and decided to cover this. And why not? It fits with the sentiment of Christmas. Peace on Earth. Goodwill towards men. Both versions of the song certainly spice up the holiday playlist for me. No Doubt made a cute and funny video to accompany this song with a rather simple tale of with the moral 'be nice to each other'. It's simple. It's feel good. Christmas should be a time to be happy, so all things comedy are going to be welcome. And don't over think it. Don't be bitching at me about how Punk was more political back in the day. Yeah, it was. New punk can be, but the pop-punk stuff, not so much. But I'll tell you one thing that hasn't quite gotten lost. Punk still has a sense of humour.
Artist: Wham! Title: Last Christmas Favourite Lyrics: Last Christmas I gave you my heart But the very next day you gave it away
Why?: Have I mentioned lately I never left the 80s?
I think this song is great. It actually doesn't sound like a Christmas song until you hear the sleigh bells part way through. It's your typical 80s new wave synthpop. And it doubles as a Christmas song that's going to be overplayed at every single party you go do. Take heart. There are far worse offerings out there (looks at Mariah Carey). George Michael was a great singer and song writer and this song gets a bum rap because radio stations don't know what else to do in December. One can, after all, only play Band Aid so many times before Sir Bob Geldof himself calls in to complain.
Favourite Lines from the Show: Lucy Van Pelt: I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting
depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I
really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes
or something like that.
Charlie Brown: What is it you want? Lucy Van Pelt: Real estate.
Why?: Honestly. I think this is one of the best holiday soundtracks to have playing. It's pleasantly jazzy piano music that happens to be Christmassy. Ever be sitting there and wondering why you're suddenly warm and fuzzy and then you realise it's because Vince Guaraldi is playing? He has the power to give me warm fuzzies.
Sad though that both Dr. Seuss and Charles Schultz were truly disenfranchised with how commercialized Christmas had become and this was over 40 years ago. These classic tales that have become part of our Christmas television watching traditions were desperately trying to remind us all what the true meaning of Christmas is. It's about time with family and loved ones. Presents should be secondary to the time you spend with family. Has it gotten better? I don't know. I know it has for me. I spend time with family. I spend time with my husband, even if he's stuck working (I'll actually head out and bring dinner to him and we sit in the office and have our time together). That's what matters.
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr. Grinch You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!
Why?: It's so sad. Nobody writes lyrics like this anymore!
What better way to start a great (heh!)* season of consumerism by reminding everyone that this isn't what Christmas is about? And yet... here we are again. I like Christmas. I really do. I'm just not into the intense commercialism of it. For me, it was always the day when mom and dad were both home. It used to be a quiet day when I was young. Nothing was open. My mom even shut down our little corner store for the day to sit, relax, and watch whatever movies were on television that day. Mind you, we would occasionally get a phone call from a neighbour asking if we were open (or mind opening up) and if we had batteries, cranberry sauce, gravy and various other food items and gift wrap paper and tape. But it wasn't a big deal. The store was attached to the house. The neighbour would come by, it would be a quick transaction and mom was back inside, watching a movie with us. This was one of those movies. Mom would sometimes hum along to the music. *Thurl Ravenscroft's voice should sound familiar. He is, after all, the voice of Kellog's Tony the Tiger.
Why?: Like A Cappella? Listen to this. These guys are awesome. This album is
great! I'm partial to "Feliz Navidad" personally. Also, bonus, they’re
having a concert NEXT WEEK!! I encourage you to go. They’re entertaining
and the concerts are a lot of fun.
