Ten Christmas Songs That Won't Make Me Want To Turn My Radio Off:
Published December 03, 2002
06) John Prine: Christmas in Prison
An incarcerated John Prine leaves the whining to the indie kids on this beautiful country track. It's a great love song, where love isn't exactly lost, but just put on hold by the American Penal System. The song is both available on Sweet Revenge and the album John Prine Christmas.
Best line: It was Christmas in prison and the food was real good
We had turkeys and pistols carved out of wood
07) Mew: She Came Home for Christmas
Danish indie band Mew released this song as a single a couple of years ago (and will release it in England next week) and it's as beautiful as it is sad. It's a bit difficult to decipher the lyrics, but they could definitely deal with someone being sexually assaulted. So again not exactly a cheery Christmas tune, but definitely one of the most haunting ones I've ever heard.
Best line: Don't touch her there. He watched her. She knew his look.
08) Ben Folds Five: Brick
When is the most depressing time for you and your girlfriend to have an abortion? Well, 6 am day after Christmas has to be up there. Brick was a surprise hit for Ben Folds Five especially considering the seriousness of the song's subject matter. But as a Christmas song I'll take it over Mariah Carey's version of All I Want For Christmas Is You any day of the week.
Best line: I pace around the parking lot
Then I walk down to buy her flowers and sell some gifts that I got
09) Badly Drawn Boy: Donna and Blitzen
The Badly Drawn Brit ended of his About a Boy soundtrack with this optimistic song about returning reindeer. Thankfully, there isn't a version of Santa's Super Sleigh on the album, so this is the only Christmas song on the record.
Best line: Maybe tomorrow we're gonna see
Things we'd never believe
10) Pearl Jam: Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time)
Pearl Jam has since 1991 released a single at Christmas time, which is only available to members of their fan club. Let Me Sleep was the first of these singles (since then it has been mainly cover versions) and it's basically a song about longing for the joy you felt as a kid at Christmas time.
Best line: Oh, when I was a kid... Oh, how magic it seemed.
Oh, please let me sleep, it's Christmas time
Honourable mentions go to: The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack, Ben Folds', Eels', and Barenaked Ladies' contributions to the How the Grinch Stole Christmas Soundtrack, and the song Just Like Christmas from the Low album Christmas.
So this is my list of decent Christmas songs. Which ones did I miss?
[Update: People have added Christmas song suggestions to this and this entry over at my weblog]
- Ten Christmas Songs That Won't Make Me Want To Turn My Radio Off:
- Published: December 03, 2002
- Type:
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Alternative Rock, Music: International/World, Music: Soundtracks
- Writer: John Fogde
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A few others I like to hear this time of year:
Ramones, "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" (the album version);
Wall of Voodoo, "Shouldn't Have Given Him A Gun for Christmas" (yeah, it's a novelty song, but it still makes me laff);
XTC, "Thanks for Christmas" (love the hook on this 'un);
Timbuk 3, "All I Want for Christmas" (neo-hippie folkie sentiments beautifully presented - whatever happened to these two?);
and
T-Bone Burnett's lovely rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."
I also love that Pogues song.
My Morning Jacket- Xmas Curtain, Best line, "We are criminals who never break the law"
And, for some odd reason, I kinda like Run DMC's Xmas in Hollis Queens..
My fave is probably the Drifters' "White Christmas."
The Drifters' version is indeed fine: I'm also partial to Otis Redding's take on the Berlin song.
Perhaps the one all-Xmas disc that gets the most play in our house during the season is Rhino's collection of jazz & rhythm-and-blues tunes, Hipsters Holiday. It includes another personal fave, Louis Armstrong's "'Zat You, Santa Claus?," as well as Miles Davis' ultra-hipster cynical "Blue Xmas."
A friend of mine mentioned that 2000 Miles by The Pretenders is another great Christmas song.
I absolutely adore the Pogues Christmas song, its about the only song I actually like hearing when I walk past a dept store or standing in a queue somewhere. It reminds me of someone special and just makes me smile.
What about "santa Claus and his old lady" by cheech and Chong? Also, christmas is never complete without hearing Bob and Doug McKenzie's "12 days of christmas". And a beeer in a tree!!!!
More great ones - thanks. Hey all you USA Today visitors, do you have any holiday favorites? What about songs you never want to hear again? When should the Xmas songs start up each year? Doesn't it get earlier and earlier?
How about "Father Christmas" by The Kinks...great song.
Run Rudolph Run - Keith Richards
Jesus Christ - Big Star
Merry Christmas Will Do - Material Issue
Little Drummer Boy - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Feliz Navidad - El Vez
Bing & Bowie's "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy".
Remember how odd this pairing seemed at the time?
Still gives me chills.
Pearl Jam's Let Me Sleep is kool. Len Monahan's Being Alone for Christmas is really great and hurts in a good way. Pogues' Fairytale is about here and now.
I once met Len Monahan in a resturant in D.C. He's really a cool guy. I told him that Being Along For Christmas was my favorite Xmas song ever. He just laughed and paid for our dinner. It was over $100! Now how many people would do that?
"Silent Night" by The Only Ones
"Santa Claus Go Down To The Ghetto" by James Brown
Fairytale of New York is the best...but I also love, Merry Christmas (I don't want to fight) - Ramones;I won't be home for Christmas _ Blink 182,; Please Come Home for Christmas - Aaron Neville; the South Park version of Oh Holy NIght; and Christmas in Hollis
Clearly you need a sense of humor this time of year!
Gotta agree with Eric's pick to click of
The Drifter's "White Xmas". Those bass
vox on that song give me the chills.
the ones I like don't get played on radio... but they are...
Dear Ephesus- The Holidays
and anything Sufjan Stevens
I really like "Daddy Christmas" by "Who's the Daddy now?". WTDN are a tribute band to CarterUSM - an indie band from the 1990's. The curio about them is that the tribute band features both members of the original band!
James White and The Blacks 'Christmas With Satan'.
Can't forget Tom Waits' "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"
The song 'I Hate Christmas Parties' by Relient K...It's not cheerful, and it's not fun, but it's my favourite, and considering my lack of enthusiasm for the glittery 'good will to all men and peac on earth' part of the holiday, and my over enthusiasm for the 'let's break out the whisky I was given last year, oh yeah i drank it on new years eve' part of the holiday, i think the song is amazing!
Santa can't stay Dwight Yoakum
The Yuletunes Christmas compilation is the best modern Christmas record -- all the way through.
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Great list for a freaky Scandinavian dude.