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Full disclosure: for ages, this question has floated around my brain at this time of the year.
Christmas songs appear when you least expect them.
For example, I heard my first Christmas song played in the middle of November. It was not related in any way to the holidays, just part of someone's “non-stop oldies” on the radio.
Now don't get me wrong, I was more than happy to sing along to Jona Lewi's attempt to stop the cavalry. However great this moment was for me, I am sure it received a different reaction from others, (people who Ebeneezer Scrooge Esq would have been proud of on the 23rd or a good part of the 24th.)
There are people out there who cannot face Christmas or any reference at all to the season. The loss of a loved one, fear, depression, anxiety, or any notion that brings painful memories back to the forefront. In all of this, and without question, I feel empathy and understanding for their resentment.
What I have wanted to convey, however, is that Christmas songs are not like anything else. There is a personal meaning and relevance behind them.
I like to look at them in the same way I look forward to putting up the Christmas tree and all its decorations. For the first ten months we never think of it, then it happens, Halloween (our other favourite holiday) gives way, and then the spectre of Christmas starts to loom large.
Just around the middle of November, or in my case the last Sunday of November (family tradition,) we search our lofts or rummage around in the shed for those boxes you carefully stow away, searching for the tree decorations, to discover it has moved at its own accord. We drop a silent prayer to the gods of Yuletide Past that the tree lights still work. For me, it is the opening of that box and seeing those familiar decorations, which have survived the generations that hold the same weight as hearing that playlist of Christmas songs.
Like it or not, some do look forward to hearing that first song, in my case extremely early in November this year on an all-Christmas digital radio station. I reference Bing Crosby singing White Christmas, where does that song take you to?
When we hear a carol or hymn it takes us back to simpler times, school nativity plays of old. Personally, I reached the dizzying acting heights of a king’s attendant. I uttered no line. Perhaps, I should have asked, what was my motivation, my backstory? Still, for a couple of weeks, I passed a king their box of gold, frankincense and/or myrrh.
Who would argue that when we hear Noddy Holder and Slade wishing us a Merry Christmas Everyone, does it not evoke a memory of past Christmases or collectively rolling our eyes as Cliff Richard reminds us that the season is full of mistletoe and wine, where does that song take you?
That is the point, no matter how old these songs are, we go back to them more than any other modern pretender (The Pretenders 2000 miles excluded) to the Christmas throne. I do not want them to change, nor the accompanying videos to be remastered and be rid of their grainy images.
Like our Christmas decorations, some of which are passed down through generations, these songs will continue to be played, hotly debated on what is the best. Could you have Christmas without a bit of Slade, Mud, Wizzard, and Bing Crosby? How often have we watched Shakin Stevens wishing us "Merry Christmas Everyone" and saying to someone, "You don't see him anymore" or "He must be rolling it in" owing it to the royalties one song could earn said musician/singer/band.
Why do I hear Chris Rea driving home for Christmas and immediately think of my sister singing along on Christmas Eve? Why does the first bar of "Do They Know Its Christmas" remind me of my dad bringing home the chart-topping 7-inch vinyl single and listening to it on endless repeat?
In summary, these songs are a rolling juggernaut of nostalgia that defines a time, an era of which we will never see again, not affected by trends, culture, style, modern technology, remixes, cover versions, or time itself.
These songs only last a month, ok a month and a half at best, that music box has opened and like our old Christmas decorations, we welcome them back, we embrace them, we share them and occasionally roll our eyes to think not again. For those that can or want to, stop what you are doing, listen to them and see where they take you…
To quote the end of the video the Wham! 1984 hit,
Merry Christmas and Thank You.
A nicely thought out and organized article that encapsulates an era of faith and tradition
Thanks Sandy, appreciate your reply. A very merry Christmas to you and your family!
Festive hugs!
Samantha x x x
Very good article,@misssamantha. I love most Christmas music, but my perennial favorite is Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas. Evokes childhood memories of watching the show on TV every year and over time I have come to appreciate the excellent musicianship. There's a certain melancholy in some of the compositions that conjures memories of Christmas past, celebrated the loved ones who are no longer with us. And as you so eloquently note, those memories can be so overwhelming that some can no longer find joy at all.
On a much lighter note, many here may already be aware of the classic Bob Rivers holiday song about cross dressing at Christmas, titled "Walking 'round in Women's Underwear." Always worth another listen:
Great article, @misssamantha. My very favorite Christmas music is Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas. Brings back memories of watching the cartoon on TV every year as a child, and over time I've come to appreciate the excellent musicianship that is highlighted by the sparse compositions. There's a melancholy there too which always evokes wistful memories of past Christmases shared with loved ones no longer with us.
On a much lighter note, another Christmas "classic" is Bob Rivers "Walking round in Women's Underwear" - a satire about crossdressing that many here are probably already familiar with. For thoses who are not, here's a link - it's worth checking out:
Hmm Christmas songs. Jonah Louis song 'Stop the cavalry' was not intended to be a Christmas song but someone in the mixing room added bells and the rest is history as was East 17 'Stay another day', both number ones.
I agree that some songs can evoke lovely memories but being repeated time after time on radio, stores and other outlets can become tiresome. That said there are some that become 'ear worms' that you begin to hum for no apparent reason.
The seventies was a decade for a myriad of specific Christmas songs. Five specific Christmas songs made number one and four in 1980, after that it dwindles. In days gone by it took at least a million singles to be sold to attain a number one now it is less than a hundred thousand(U.K).
For the fifth year running a charity single by Lad baby tops the charts beating the Beatles four consecutive Christmas number one hits. Earlier in the month it was a battle between Cliff and Stormzy!
There are some lovely Christmas hits and although I get driven crazy by the constant repetition there are those that I do like in moderation and the first two I mentioned are my favourites.
If I hear Noddy Holder shout 'IT'S CHRISTMAS' once more I cannot be held responsible for my actions.
Hi Angela
Thanks so much for the reply and taking the time to read it.
It’s so true, the 70’s/80’s was the classic age. I have to confess, I started my annual listening the second week of September
Wishing you a very merry Christmas to you and your family!
Festive Hugs,
Samantha x x x
As I read your article I am sitting here catching up on e mails and listening to a selection of Xmas songs which I put onto a USB stick a few years ago so there is no danger of Justin Bieber or any other rubbish being played under the pretence of being Xmas songs. Oh here is Nat king Cole starting, must go. Love jojo. Xx
I've come to realize that many people are turned off by the ever lengthening of the retail Christmas season, however given the true reason for the season, the birth of our Savior Jesus the Christ, I never tire of spiritual Christmas songs regardless of the time of year. Offered In His Love, gracie.
Hi Samantha!
Growing up, our house was the last on the block...probably the whole town... to be decorated. We couldn't do anything Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. That included singing or playing Christmas music on the old phonograph. I remember those 78 and 33 1/3rpm records and that scratchy sound? Nothing Christmas until after Thanksgiving...It was a house rule. But when Dad wasn't around, we would hum and sing until he came home.
I carried that rule with me throughout my professional career. Every site I had responsibility for celebrated the seasons in order...not before.
For years my personal favorite Christmas song was Little Drummer Boy. Then came Mannheim Steamroller Fresh Aire Christmas music set to electronic giz-wizardry. Suddenly Little Drummer Boy took on a whole new appeal. It's still my favored...both versions.
Like others, over the years I've lost family members. In fact, I'm last of my family. Christmas seems to be a season when I miss them more than others. I have melancholy days reminiscing and longing to be able to speak with them or share just one more moment together.
I'm in my 70's now. I still sing along to Christmas carols I hear on my Sirius Radio. After Thanksgiving I bring out my Christmas CD's and sing along as we decorate the house. I only sing out loud when no one is around. I sing off key and it would cause your dog to howl if it heard me.
So for me, Christmas comes after Thanksgiving. From the songs on the radio to the garland and roping, to lighting and placing the star atop the tree. .
Thanks for the memories...
June
Samantha-what a lovely article! I usually try to write a Christmas article here ,but life was busy this year and I didn't find the time to do so. Thank you for writing this one.
Christmas was always HUGE in my house growing up, and music was most definitely a big part of that. We always spent an hour or two each Sunday of Advent as a family singing Christmas carols together. Each person-beginning with the youngest and continuing til my dad as the oldest-would choose a song, and the family would sing at least the first verse (and often multiple verses of some). How many "rounds" we went varied depending on how many were there. As youngsters it was the 9 of us-(7 kids plus my parents); later (until my parents passed), it could be one round due to the 15 grandkids and spouses swelling the number to 30 folks.
Some of us could sing decently; others couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. But we all "made a joyful noise unto the Lord"! Younger kids would pick the 12 days of Christmas-eliciting joy from the younger kids and groans from the older ones(yes we sang all twelve verses!). While secular songs like Frosty, Rudolf, and White Christmas were present, there were also most of the Christmas hymns (like Silent Night, and Joy to the World) that focused on the "reason for the season". Some carols -like Good King Wenceslaus) made so much more sense once you sang all five verses-it tells a parable of the joy of giving. We would sing Oh Come All Ye Faithful in English then do the Latin Adeste Fideles (yes even the little ones sang in Latin though they had no idea what the words meant. Several songs were sung in German too as our military family lived there several times. The last song was ALWAYS Silent Night (in English) followed by Stille Nacht in German.
Those memories of Christmas are forever burned into my heart and tears are welling up even now as I type these words here on January 13th.(I could write a ton more -and may one day in my next Christmas article-about the many other traditions we had).
My dad passed 19 years ago and my mom 12 years ago-and these memories tie me to them closer than any others-the joy of Christmas morning; the decorations ; ...and the moment as I matured where I realized the true meaning of Christmas was not in "getting" but in "giving". That really hit home this year as I was able to help a friend (who had experienced incredible challenges for the last two full years) have a great Christmas for her and her two young adult kids.(I may write about that in more detail later this year).Because of them, this was -I believe- my best Christmas ever.
Thanks for helping me take a trip down memory lane-though I shed a few tears , they were tears of joy and happiness!
Cyn
I appreciate Christmas a lot, because when You go step-by-step in cross-dressing, You face the problem of lingerie, and indeed Christmas is a good reason to go and buy Your first bras and so start testing. Of course, now we have online shops but I recommend to buy also in the shops, the feeling when you get over that barrier is huge. Furthermore, music strengthens your feminine side and ratio of women and girls playing and listening is 70/30.
