It’s a Christmas classic, but one that – let’s be honest – sounds pretty scary with all the kids singing like that. What is it about children singing en masse that sounds so sinister? Here, let’s go jazzy with it, instead:
366 Songs 356: The Christmas Song
Another of those songs that you hear so much in childhood that they sound eternal, as if they’ve always existed. Nat King Cole’s version in particular. The Nat King Cole Christmas album was something that my mother adored; she’d make a point of putting it on as we decorated the tree, if possible, to try and complete the experience for her.
366 Songs 355: River
366 Songs 354: Father Christmas
I love the (uncomfortable, unconvincing) attempt that the Kinks made with this late ’70s song to try and be relevant in the era of punk. There’s a real sense of old men wearing the latest fashions and looking ridiculous to this song, which just seems oddly appropriate considering the family feeling that Christmas brings… Not that these other versions sound much better, it has to be said…
366 Songs 353: Merry Xmas Everybody
Another British holiday favorite that just hasn’t crossed the Atlantic, and really kind of deserves to, I can’t hear this without immediately feeling like a kid again during the run up to the big day, with the Advent Calendar and the sleepless excitement that always overwhelmed me at the time. It’s that hardwired into my Christmastime DNA.
If Noddy Holder’s screech is too much for you, there’s always this far more mellow version:
366 Songs 352: You’ll Never Find My Christmas
I know nothing about Bishop Allen, the band behind this song – which I found, I think, on a freebie download Christmas album from superstore Target, but I may be misremembering – but I can only hope that the rest of their music has exactly the same combination of twee, ramshackle and somewhat catchily adorable that this one does. There’s something heartwarmingly slapdash about this song, but it’s one that I find myself singing when I least expect it. It’s very good as accompaniment to doing the dishes, I find.
366 Songs 351: Maybe This Christmas
366 Songs 350: Blue Christmas
366 Songs 349: Hwiangerdd Mair
This song matches my mood today, both in the beautifully melancholic way it sounds (The instrumental break at 1:53 just breaks my heart every single time, I don’t know why), and the lyrics; the end of which roughly translate as “Sleep, you shall be awake soon enough/Sleep, before going into your cross/Sleep, sleep little dear/Sleep until the morning.” Which… you know.
Sad day. A sad song feels right.
366 Songs 348: Get Down For The Holidays
It’s one of those days when I don’t have the time that I really would like to, so instead of me writing a lot, you get this lovely little song by Jenny O about being busy at this time of year. With multi-tracked vocals, and such a wonderful finger-picking style of playing, it’s like a female, non-depressive Elliott Smith. I believe that should always be considered a win.
“I’m not trying to eat and run, but I can’t stay…”