It's inevitable that this time of the year we get inundated with Christmas songs. Some of them you like, but some are like a nails on the blackboard through every chord, note and line of lyrics.
What are yours?
Most hated:
Christmas in Africa - There's something odd about stars driving to the studio in their BMWs and ferraris, all coming together to save the world from hunger by changing their belief system (can you say converting the world to Christianity).
Favorite:
Often some of the classics, like Little Drummer Boy, Can you Hear What I Hear, provided it's not a modernized version.
i love most of them - except the stupid parodies. my absolute favorites are silver bells and happy christmas. the ones i hate the most are chipmunks roasting on an open fire, and the stupid hippo song (sorry ta)
So Java, you don't like "Grandma got runover by a reindeer?"
Oh, here's another hated:
I don't know the name, but it's a collaboration between Bing Crosby and David Bowie. It's a chaotic mess that makes me crawl up the back of my chair when I hear it.
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Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
I admit that I listen to Christmas music pretty much all day long in my office. My male co-workers make fun of me and question my sexuality, but I still listen to it.
grandma i can take MAYBE once but my brother used to sing it over and over and over....
yeah the chipmunks song is gross! the host at work used to play it just to watch me walk out of the room. (it's by bob rivers in case you're into that stuff)
On the more non traditional side...
Carol of the Bells: Metallica and the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
I am not framiliar with the "Christmas in Africa" song, but am confused by the trying to help by converting them to Christianity angle? It sounds like, from your description, the artists got together and did a song or series of them and some of the proceeds go to helping people in 3rd world countries? Do they force them to swear on a bible before they get aid or something?
As for them driving to the studios in their expensive cars etc, those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. And so there is no confusion here, the rich may have more than you do, but you have a ton more than people who are starving in the world.
So instead of being so damn cynical about people who are doing something to help at a time of year that may mean something to people, try to exprience Christmas for what it is about, a time for brotherhood, a time for family, a time for giving. All these things can be exprienced without the need for religion.
Merry Christmas.
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Best Christmas Songs-"Christmas Time is Here" and "Oh Christmas Tree" from Charlie Brown Christmas (Vince Guaraldi trio rules).
Also, anything off the Oscar Peterson Christmas album is great (if you like jazz, you will love this album).
Worst Christmas Songs-Any Christmas tune by Mannheim Steamroller. Every time I hear a song by them I want to end my life.
I don't think I've ever heard Dominic the Donkey - just judging by the title, I don't see how it can even be a christmas song! There's no donkeys in Christmas!
I forgot about Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Gotta love the Yoopers.
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O Come Emanuel has always been my favorite. I also like Little Drummer Boy.
Cannot stand Grandma, or anything by Trans Siberian Orchestra. I know people LOVE them, but I'd rather be in Trans-Siberia than with Trans-Siberia....and Domenic the Donkey is awful...
how can YOU like dominic? You're not italian!! (plus, they won't play it in the south on the radio you have to have your own copy)
dominic the donkey is the song of the italian christmas doneky. since santa's reindeer couldn't make it up and down the hills of italy he used his buddy dominic. these words are spelled incorrectly but here's the gist of the lyrics:
Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
Santa's got a little friend,
His name is Dominic.
The cutest little donkey,
You never see him kick.
When Santa visits his paesans,
With Dominick he'll be.
Because the reindeer cannot,
Climb the hills of Italy.
Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)
Jingle bells around his feet,
And presents on the sled.
Hey! Look at the mayor's derby,
On top of Dominick's head.
A pair of shoes for Louie,
And a dress for Josephine.
The labels on the inside says,
They're made in Brooklyn!
Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)
Children sing, and clap their hands,
And Dominick starts to dance.
They talk Italian to him,
And he even understands.
Cumpare sing,
Cumpare su,
And dance 'sta tarantel.
When jusamagora comes to town,
And brings du ciuccianello.
it's just one of those old family things that we've always had - kind of like the one pie that i don't know the name of that nonna INSISTS on making but no one eats.
I can't believe the Canadian haven't come up with this as a fav. Of course it's one of the reasons we let them live, in The Great White North.
Quote:
Bob: Okay, good day, this is our Christmas part of the album, and you can play this at your Christmas parties, uh, or to yourself on Christmas Eve, if there's nothing else to do.
Doug: Good day, eh? In case you thought, like, I wasn't on this part!
Bob: Oh, I guarantee ya, you'd be on. ] Okay, so, good day, this is the Christmas part, and, we're gonna tell you what to get, uh, your true love for Christmas.
Doug: Look out the window!
Bob: Where?! Whadda ya doing?
Doug: Snow, hosehead.
Bob: Wha? Oh, it's the Great White North, and it's snowing, cause it's Christmas time. Hey, hoser!
Doug: What?
Bob: Here's a quiz. Quiz for Doug.
Doug: Okay, I have my thinking touque on.
Bob: Yeah, right. What are the twelve days of Christmas? Cause, figure it out, right. Christmas is when?
Doug: Uh, the 25th.
Bob: Right, and what's the 24th, Christmas Eve, right? So, that's two. And then, what's after that?
Doug: Um... Uh, Wrestling Day.
Bob: No. Get out.
Doug: Boxing Day, yeah, yeah.
Bob: That's three. Then what's after that? Nothing.
Doug: New Year's.
Bob: Four. And what's...
Doug: New Year's Eve.
Bob: Five. Where do you get twelve?
Doug: Uh... There's two Saturdays and Sundays in there, that's four. That's nine. And, three other days, which I believe are the mystery days. (Music starts.)
Bob: Okay now. This is our Christmas song, in case you don't know what to get somebody for Christmas.
Doug: There's lots of ideas in here, so, listen, and don't get stuck.
Bob: Okay.
Doug: By the way, that's me on the organ.
Bob: Aw, geez.
Doug: You start.
Bob: Okay. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a beer.
Doug: On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: two turtlenecks,
Bob: And a beer. (Okay...) On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: three French toast,
Doug: Two turtlenecks,
Bob: And a beer. (Okay...)
Doug: There should be more there, eh?
Bob: Where? On the... go.
Doug: Fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: four pounds of backbacon,
Bob: Three French toast,
Doug: Two turtlenecks,
Bob: And a beer.
Doug: In a tree. See, you need more.
Bob: Fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: five golden touques!
Doug: Four pounds of backbacon,
Bob: Three French toast,
Doug: Two turtlenecks,
Bob: And a beer, what was it?
Together: In a tree!
Bob: Okay, on the sixth... go.
Doug: Of Christmas, my true love gave to me: six packs of two-four,
Bob & BG Singers: Five golden touques!
Doug: Four pounds of backbacon,
Bob: Three French toast,
Doug: Two turtlenecks,
Bob: And a beer,
Together: In a tree!
Bob: Okay.
Doug: Okay.
Bob: On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: seven packs of smokes,
Doug: (Nice gift...) Oh, six packs of two-four! (BG Singers also sing "nice gift".)
Bob & BG Singers: Five golden touques!
Doug: Four pounds of backbacon,
Bob: Three French toast,
Doug: Two turtlenecks,
Bob: And a beer, Together: In a tree!
Bob: Right, I keep forgetting.
Doug: Phew! This should just be the two days of Christmas, it's too hard for us!
Bob: Um...
Doug: Go, hoser.
Bob: Oh.
Together: Eigth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:
Doug: Eight comic books,
Together w/BG singers (but unsynchronized): Seven packs of smokes, six packs of two-four,
(Bob and Doug quit singing.)
BG Singers: Five golden touques! Four pounds of backbacon, three French toast, two turtlenecks,
All: And a beer,
Doug: On my tree!
Bob: Yeah. That beer's empty. Okay. Day,
BG Singers: Twelve!
Bob: Uh, tweleve.
Doug: Good day, and welcome to day twelve.
BG Singers: Five golden touques!
All: Four pounds of backbacon, three French toast, two turtlenecks, and a beer, in a tree!
Bob: Beauty, eh?
Doug: Where'd you learn to do that?
Bob: Uh, albums.
Doug: Boy. So, like, that's our song, Merry Christmas...
Bob: Merry Christmas!
Doug: And good day!
Bob: Good day, everybody. Happy New Year, too. Sheesh. Okay, you know what you left out?
Doug: What?
Bob: Donuts - I told you to get me donuts! Either on the ninth day or the tenth day, or the eleventh day, I wanted donuts!
Doug: Okay, the song's over.
Bob: But I want...
Doug: Merry Christmas, everybody!
Bob: Or on the twelfth day, you coulda got me a dozen donuts.
Doug: So, go out to the stores, and get some presents.
Bob: You coulda gone down to, like, the good donut shop, where if you buy a dozen, you get another one free, and then thirteen for the thirteen days of Christmas.
Doug: Well, next Christmas, I'll get me a chainsaw...
Bob: Take off!
Doug: Boy, that song was a beauty. It moved me...
Bob: Yeah, I think it ranks up there with Stairway to Heaven... Doug: Wha-? (and the music fades)
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I intensely dislike most christmas music after having worked retail for a couple christmas seasons (and I wasn't a huge fan to begin with). I don't mind some old songs, but that's not most of what I get innundated with when I go outside this time of year.
But the bestest of all time christmas songs has GOT to be Alvin and the Chipmunks' song... "The Chipmunk Song." Makes me SO want a hula-hoop! They sound so high, it's awesome. I don't like much else, but then that's ok since I'm not a celebrator...
ooo... I also kinda like that beer song... so long as I only have to hear it once.
There's a bunch of stuff I like -- the arrangement of Jingle Bells with Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters; Steve Taylor's Winter Wonderland (with a Mariachi band!).
I think "O Holy Night" is probably my favorite AND least favorite, probably because it's so demanding to sing and it seems everyone attempts it whether they can pull it off or not. Kiri Te Kanawa's and Renee Fleming's versions are sublime. Bobby Vinton's attempt sucks.
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
Favourite: Carol of the Bells. (I hate to copy Og and say the trans-siberian version, but it's really really good!) It's awesome by a proper choir or on handbells, too!
I like a lot of the (more) traditional versions of songs too, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett et al. Bring back good feelings.
Least fav: A lot of the attempts by untalented pop singers drive me crazy. The purpose of a Christmas song is not to show off your "pop personality" by whining, ad-libbing, and trying to fit trillions of notes in where only one or two belong.
Also, not a fan of "I saw mommy kissing santa clause". It's a stupid song to begin with, then everyone sings it through their noses.
Currently my co-worker is blasting out the "chipmunk christmas carol".
I like the traditional/religious carols done well (it is not opera) with all the traditionally-worded verses. Handel's Messiah, is good if done well.
For the non-religious songs, I prefer the old versions (Bing, Nat, Perry even Burl) or the swing/jazz versions most of the time - hate the pop divas "pop-style". Nutcraker Suite instrumentals also good.
TSR or Manheim Steamroller - can be OK but can get on my nerves after awhile - I'd like in a mix/shuffle rather than straight through.
There's a bunch of stuff I like -- the arrangement of Jingle Bells with Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters; Steve Taylor's Winter Wonderland (with a Mariachi band!).
I think "O Holy Night" is probably my favorite AND least favorite, probably because it's so demanding to sing and it seems everyone attempts it whether they can pull it off or not. Kiri Te Kanawa's and Renee Fleming's versions are sublime. Bobby Vinton's attempt sucks.
RB, check out Josh Groban's version; there is no strain in his voice. With that being said, I hate Christmas music for the most part, not because I'm a Scrooge but because its played 24/7 starting on THANKSGIVING! Can't we at least wait until one holiday is over before we start another one? With that being said, when it comes to Christmas music, Josh Groban and Bing Crosby are favorites.
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Favorite and most hated Christmas songs.
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