Okay – that’s not really true. I like it, but not at Christmas. It’s like an overdosing of love and peace and joy and “happy, happy, happy” and forced familial frivolity (ooh –alliteration) coupled with Black Friday/Altamonte-level stampedes.
I can listen to it, at length, in the summertime. Weird, huh? And it’s not the usual stuff that get’s musak-ed to death, either. I prefer the nutty, Dr. Demento-type songs: Grandma got Run Over by a Reindeer – Elmo and Patsy, Christmas Don’t be Late – The Chipmunks, The Twelve Days of Christmas – Bob and Doug McKenzie, Santa Claus and His Old Lady – Cheech and Chong, Walking Round in Women’s Underwear – Bob Rivers, Fuck Christmas – Eric Idle, Christmas in Hollis – Run DMC
Or just other non-traditional songs cover versions: Wonderful Christmas Time – Paul McCartney, Don’t Shoot Me Santa – The Killers, Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms, Do They Know it’s Christmas?* – BandAid
(although it feels wrong to just cheerily sing along), Little Saint Nick – The Beach Boys, Please Come Home for Christmas – The Eagles, Celebrate Me Home – Kenny Loggins, Santa Clause is Comin’ to Town
by Bruce Springsteen, So This is Christmas (War is Over) – John Lennon, Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley, Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano.
My favorite, though, would have to be Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses. I found it on Youtube. That led me to cover versions that I never knew existed: one by The Donnas (not bad) and one by The Spice Girls (um … no!)
Listen and let me know what you think in the comments.
*Do They Know it’s Christmas- BandAid. I have no musical cred whatsoever, but I think this is much better song than “We Are the World”. It’s just not something that lends itself to being played at any time of the year.
... but I digress 