It’s true — I love Christmas music. But that’s not the confession — the confession is that some of my favorites are cheesy. Extremely cheesy. And I know I’m not alone — it’s just something nobody talks about openly. A dirty little secret, if you will.
But, look, I think we all get a pass when it comes to Christmas music. And I’ll go out on a limb and tell you my favorites if you tell me yours. Deal?
(This is feeling like a precarious one-way agreement right about now, but I’ll go ahead and trust you to play fair. Here we go.)
- I’ll start out safe and lead with John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over).” This song kills me. Tears — every time. Gorgeous and sad and sweet. As long as John & Yoko weren’t singing it naked in bed — that would ruin it for me. If you want to veer this song into cheesy territory, it’s just one remake away with Neil Diamond’s cover (I’m not a fan of that one. Trust me, I can do cheesy — as you’ll soon see — but I need the original in this case).
- “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” As a child of the 80s, I won’t even bother apologizing for loving this song. It’s my birthright. I remember my sister getting the 45 single (gulp) and we played it over and over. And the video — Sweet Jesus. I. Loved. It. My friends and I would make sure we knew which artist was singing which part and we especially held our breaths for the killer solos by Simon LeBon and Bono (the latter still being my favorite part of the song). I just looked online at the full Band Aid roster of singers and I think I feel my leg warmers falling down. Kool and the Gang? Really?
- Apparently nobody comes home for Christmas and there are all kinds of ways to sing about it. In that theme are two of my favorites — similarly titled yet very different songs: “Baby Please Come Home for Christmas” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Both of these have multiple versions, but on the first song I like the Eagles and the Aaron Neville covers the best. On the second, there is no comparison to the old Darlene Love version — but the U2 version is also great.
- Veering further into total holiday depressive mode — I love, love Joni Mitchell’s “River,” even if it makes me want to jump out of a window in utter despair. And — cheesy alert: There is a little-known remake of this song that is sung by, of all people, Robert Downey, Jr. Apparently, he sang it during one of his guest spots on Ally McBeal and it’s fabulous (the cover, not the Ally McBeal episode). The man can sing — and I just love him overall, so there’s that. Say what you will.
OK I’m saving my truly cheesy favorites for last. And I’m really hoping someone is going to come to my defense on these.
- I can’t even talk to you if you can’t get behind Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne.” No, I’m not joking. “Met my old lover in the grocery store — The snow was falling Christmas Eve…” Yes, that one. Fucking kills me.
?
And, finally, some real risky choices to tie this up. Strangely, both of these last two songs have the same name but are entirely different. So, under the category of “All I Want for Christmas Is You”…
- This one is a family favorite but not terribly well-known, unless you are one of the five global members of the Vince Vance & the Valiants Fan Club. I have no idea what else they sing — I think they are a country outfit — but what a great song, released in 1989. It’s got a twangy, sort of retro feel. And it’s pretty cheesy. Bring it! ?
- Lastly, yes, I’ll say it. I love the Mariah Carey song. I know, I know. Cheesy. But I’m owning it. I’m not typically a Mariah fan but there is something about this song. It reminds me of the old Phil Spector Wall of Sound (and if you don’t know what that is, then you have no business shaming me for my song choices — that’s a fair deal, I think). And after all the other downer songs I listed, it’s nice to have an upbeat, (almost) happy one in the mix.
So there you go — those are some of my holiday favorites, in no particular order. Honorable mention to The Ramones’ “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight),” Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong’s “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and The Beach Boys’ “Merry Christmas Baby.” I may add more later. But in the meantime, who’s going to play nice and tell me theirs?
Good choices…I definitely agree with John Lennon…
How about these (first one is cheesy):
Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues
Santa Baby (the original) by Eartha Kitt
Now I’ve got The Pogues in my head…
Mark, I knew you’d love that Waitresses song! P loves it too. Great choices.
You have a doo-wop/Motown bend to your musical tastes. Did anyone every tell you that?
I freaking love that Dan Fogelberg song. Always have.
Thanks for having my back on Fogelberg. It’s just too much.
As for Motown, it’s gospel to me. I was born in the wrong decade.
OK…..I will play, but I have to say I go for the old stuff. It must come from years of making Christmas cookies with my family and having my Dad play them on our stereo, which back then was made of the old phonograph records!!!!
So in not particular order.
Johnny Mathis: really any of his songs but The Christmas Song is my favorite. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…..
The Best Gift: Barbara Streisand…..Love any song about a baby has to be good.
Jingle Bells: Barbara Streisand…love the beat and love Jingle bell, jingle bell, jing jangle!!!!
It must have been ol Santa Claus…Harry Connick. It’s Harry Connick what else do I need to say??
O Holy Night: Pavarotti.
Many weekends were spent listening to these songs and albums while we decked the halls and fill the house with cookies!!!
Fun post!
Oh, these are great. Classics. I can practically smell the cookies baking — except I am too distracted by my mental picture of Harry Connick, Jr.
Can’t you just picture him with his red sweater singing into your eyes next to the fire place with a glass of great wine.
WOW!!
Uh, yeah 🙂
It’s “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus” not “I saw mommy kissing daddy but really thinking about Harry Connick!”
Busted. Damn you Wilson.
I may have gagged a bit at some of your choices, but I decided to stay subscribed. 😉 (Really, it’s the fault of the radio stations that have played some of these songs out.)
I grew up on the Phil Spector Christmas Album, but these days I prefer more traditional songs like O Holy Night.
One of my favorites is I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). You can’t beat it for “despair to grace in 3.5 seconds.” Plus I love a song that brings a tear to my eye.
Well, that’s not entirely true. That song about the Christmas shoes makes me want to slice off my ears with an X-acto knife.
Someone above mentioned The Pogues. An English friend of mine raves that this is his favorite Christmas song and so I had to listen. I thought I was being punk’d. It sounded like a recording of a wounded animal whining in pain. But maybe I should have listened before I sliced off my ears with the X-acto knife.
I agree completely with your Fogelberg pick. It’s sentimental and oh so true. What kind of romance novelist would I be if I didn’t like that song? Huh? Huh?
Fun blog!
Gagging? Knives? Oh dear, I’ve failed you. Thanks for hanging in there, and for the solidarity on Fogelberg, even if the other picks nearly put you over the edge 🙂
You call these cheesy, girl? They are CLASSICS (especially the Lennon one; a guaranteed bawler). Now, here’s some cheese for you:
1. “Christmas, Don’t Be Late” by Alvin & the Chipmunks (brings me way back to Kindergarten)
2. Anything by Tony Bennett, especially “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
3. That song that the Who’s sing in The Grinch That Stole Christmas.
4. The Nat King Cole version of “The Christmas Song”
5. “Auld Lang Syne” sung by James Tayor
6. “Christmas Time is Here” from the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack
7. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland
Beat that, Cheese Lovers!
Well played, Pat! I agree that Lennon isn’t cheesy but some of my other picks, uh, questionable.
Yours are great — numbers 4 and 5 in particular, for me. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Not only do I have your back on the Fogelberg, but I will have it set on repeat all day tomorrow in honor of his untimely passing on December 16, 2007.
Is it wrong that I had to pull over b/c I was crying so hard when I heard about it on the radio?
Wow, that’s loyal. I can’t even imagine what “Leader of the Band” does to you…
OK, that one I played constantly when my dad had his heart attack…then my dad picked that one at the funeral home when my grandfather died last year. I had to actually leave the room.
OK — it’s now clear to me that you need a Fogelberg intervention.