Thursday, December 11, 2008

10 Christmas Songs I'm Already Sick Of

First of all, that title isn’t mine, it from another guy who wrote the list to which I’m responding. I’m disavowing the title ‘cause of the preposition hanging out in space at the end. I take a lot of grammatical liberties in writing here in order to try to create a tempo or mood, but I gag up on ones like that up there, just sitting, staring at me, being all preposition-like in its wrongness.

Now about the list…Geek Dad on Wired Blog Network is fed up with these 10:

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry
Awww, man, why’d ya have to start by picking on Gene Autry? This is so old and contrived, you just have to love this song. Geek Dad complained about not understanding what “reindeer games” are. Dude, they’re REINDEER GAMES—let ‘em be.

Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt
Hot and sexy and who cares if she sang this over 50 years ago? The subsequent cover versions are mere pretenders, Eartha Kitt, eventually the original TV Catwoman, rendered this a timeless classic.

Christmas Don’t be Late by Alvin & the Chipmunks
I admit it. I smile at this every year.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Springsteen
I’m not a big Springsteen fan, but to hear him blasting all that energy into this song as if he really believed, I love it.

We Three Kings by Mannheim Steamroller
Mannheim Steamroller is bogus, bogus, bogus. They were a nice change 20 years ago. Now it’s like listening to the band Chicago on the radio. Just can’t wait for it to be over.

Sleigh Ride by the Carpenters
The Carpenters were creepy then, and they’re creepy now.

Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
This is happy. Whatcha bitchin’ about Geek Dad?

Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid
Felice Navidad by Jose Feliciano
Wonderful Christmas by Paul McCartney
I would pour out venom and anxiety by the crapload commenting on these three. Suffice it to say these songs should never be heard again, anywhere, anytime.

There are a few songs that could be played a lot more.
Is That Really Santa by the Beach Boys
Gotta have a little beach music at Christmas!


Blue Christmas by Elvis
Schmaltzy Elvis in a perfect setting.

Twinkletoes by Eddie Blazonczyk
Santa’s proud of Rudolph’s nose but he’ll get more light from Twinkletoes

Finally, the all time best. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, played by me on the piano in the dining room, from an ancient publication of sheet music that the missus gave me many years ago. The prelude lyrics that set up the part of the song with which everyone is familiar were a big surprise to me when I saw them first. As I play, I hear Bing on the vocal. Verrrrry happy sounds.

Here's an addition in honor of the governor of the great state of ILL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM38kN4AOys

Which Christmas songs do you love//hate?

5 comments:

Amy said...

"Dominick the Donkey" is awesomely bad.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Amy, Dominick the Donkey makes anything by The Chipmunks tolerable. I do have a favorite too. Remember the movie Gremlins? There's this scene where the Mom is home alone making cookies, and suddenly the song "Do You Hear What I Hear" starts to play. Whoever that artist is, some dude from the Mitch Miller era, sings that song with such a baratone, it's eerie, and a jam both at the same time. You have to play it loud though for the proper effect. Who is that guy?

PURPLE FLAG ON SATURDAY said...

IMDB for Gremlins lists your song as having been performed by the one and only Johnny Mathis.

Johnny Mathis factoids:
--73 years old
--former Olympic quality track athlete
--gay
--3 Grammys
--12 TV specials

Anonymous said...

Andy Williams can belt it out too!!

PURPLE FLAG ON SATURDAY said...

I am stuck on Mitch Miller. What a fun old show. Remember when Amazon reprised the idea for their commercials a few years ago?