We know Eugene’s least favorite Christmas song, but what’s your favorite? I agree with Eugene that Silent Night, Holy Night is “suberb.” It’s always been one of my favorite “classic” carols.
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
What of popular or rock-n-roll Christmas songs? I’ve always liked the Kinks’ “Father Christmas,” but I’ve posted a Ray Davies holiday song before. “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses is also a longstanding favorite of mine — it’s an ’80s classic.
“Bah, humbug!” No, that’s too strong
‘Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year’s been a busy blur
Don’t think I have the energyTo add to my already mad rush
Just ’cause it’s ’tis the season.
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left fromLast year, ski shop,
Encounter, most interesting.
Had his number but never the time
Most of ’81 passed along those lines.So deck those halls, trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer,
I just need to catch my breath,
Christmas by myself this year.
Here are the full lyrics, the song set to x-mas lights, and a cover by The Donnas
So those are two of my favorites. What are yours?
3L says:
Christmas Time is Here (Instrumental) by Vice Guaraldi Trio
December 20, 2009, 9:05 amBT says:
Back Door Santa–Clarence Carter
Truckin’ Trees For Christmas–Red Simpson
Christmas In Jail–The Youngsters
Merry Christmas Baby—Charles Brown
December 20, 2009, 9:09 amJohn Burgess says:
Don’t care much for the pop Christmas songs, actually. They all tend to blur into dogs barking Jingle Bells.
I do like ‘O Holy Night’, especially in the French original, ‘Cantique de Noël’.
December 20, 2009, 9:31 amAlbatross says:
My favorite is “I Wonder as I Wander” by John Jacob Niles. So far every version I have heard has been hauntingly beautiful.
December 20, 2009, 9:39 amgracchus says:
Merry Christmas from the Family by Robert Earl Keen.
December 20, 2009, 9:41 amDesiderius says:
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
December 20, 2009, 10:00 amChains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Hauk says:
“Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues.
December 20, 2009, 10:10 amWill Ruger says:
Jonathan,
There are a lot of fine, popular Christmas songs, but two leap out from animated films: Silver and Gold by Burl Ives and the Snow Miser/Heat Miser song. The latter is so much fun with kids – they love it. There is also a Big Bad Voodoo Daddies cover of it that is great. Silver and Gold also suggests good economics from what I remember — money only worth what pleasure it can bring us here on earth, not something essential.
December 20, 2009, 10:41 amLyric Critic says:
Rock-and-roll Xmas songs are dreadful. Asking my favorite is like asking what’s my favorite circle of hell.
December 20, 2009, 11:00 amJohn C says:
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love
Baby It’s Cold Outside – the Ann Margaret/Al Hirt version (found it on a Pottery Barn cd). This is a s-l-o-w rendition – you can just picture a slightly tipsy, twenty-something Ann Margaret in a Santa hat (and not much more…)
December 20, 2009, 11:33 amFantasiaWHT says:
Classic – O Holy Night
December 20, 2009, 11:42 amModern – ??
Louis says:
The entire album: A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector.
December 20, 2009, 11:43 amFederal Dog says:
God rest ye, merry gentlemen.
December 20, 2009, 12:02 pmDavid McCourt says:
For those tired of the commercial dreck, there’s the Coventry Carol, 500 years old, with a melody to rival Silent Night’s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1khUv74ETHs
And with its lyric speaking of how to preserve “the little tiny child” when “Herod the King, in his raging, charged he hath this day, his men of might in his own sight, all young children to slay,” it’s a welcome far cry from Jingle Bells.
December 20, 2009, 12:04 pmSuperSkeptic says:
John Lennon – merry xmas (war is over).
December 20, 2009, 12:08 pmRandy says:
Always hated Grandma Got Run Over by the Reindeer, or whatever it’s called. It’s enjoyed only by adolescents and the like.
Angesl We Have Heard on High is fun to play on the piano, and everyone likes singing it.
December 20, 2009, 12:12 pmRandy says:
But of course, Judy singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is my favorite. Although it’s obstensibly a pleasant melody with cheerful lyrics, when you see it in the context of the movie, it’s actually heartbreaking. Any song that can be cheerful and heartbreaking at the same time is a work of art, and Judy’s rendition brings out both flavors.
December 20, 2009, 12:14 pmdearieme says:
Silent Night is even better in German. Are any others better in furrin?
December 20, 2009, 12:32 pmCato The Elder says:
“O Holy Night” is one of the few Christmas carols that make me feel religious and wanting.
December 20, 2009, 12:59 pmJohn Armstrong says:
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. The original version before it got happied up by Frank Sinatra.
“If We Make It Through December”, by Merle Haggard.
“First Christmas”, by Stan Rogers.
“I Believe in Father Christmas”, by Greg Lake.
December 20, 2009, 1:04 pmSunday Song Lyric | Liberal Whoppers says:
[...] the original here: Sunday Song Lyric Share this [...]
December 20, 2009, 1:06 pmDjDiverDan says:
Well, if I set aside the Instrumentals which I love, like “wizards in Winter” by the Trans Siberian Orchestra, or just about anything on the several excellent Mason Williams-Mannheim Steamroller Christmas collaborations, I’d have to say my favorite is “Angels We Have Heard on High” — I just love the “Gloria in Excelsis” Chorus.
December 20, 2009, 1:34 pmJeff Walden says:
YES!
Also: Greensleeves, by the same. (And What Child is This as well, although I can never really remember what the difference is between the two since they each have part of the same song, and I’ve never taken the time to listen to them repeatedly to be able to distinguish the two.) Skating is also nice, if a bit lighter fare.
Also: Walking in the Air and The Snowman’s Music Box Dance, performed by George Winston.
December 20, 2009, 1:39 pmBob White says:
Greg Lake’s “I Believe in Father Christmas.”
December 20, 2009, 1:57 pm“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Perry Como.
“Christmas Is Coming Twice This Year” by The Hollytones.
Rob F says:
Favourite Christmas song in general: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. If it is artist dependent, then I say it’s a tossup between the Aselin Debison version of “The Gift” (a Canadian singer who might not be known in the US; look for her on YouTube) and Natalie Merchant’s version of “Children, Go Where I Send Thee”.
December 20, 2009, 2:01 pmric says:
Brian Setzer Orchestra….
Nutcracker Suite http://www.last.fm/music/The+Brian+Setzer+Orchestra/_/The+Nutcracker+Suite
December 20, 2009, 2:10 pmlucia says:
My favorite is “Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel”
December 20, 2009, 2:39 pmNickM says:
If you have kids who want something new/modern, consider David Archuleta’s new album Christmas from the Heart.
I’m partial to the “goofy” songs of the Freberg/Lehrer/Weird Al oeuvre, but assuming you’re talking about traditional Christmas music, my favorite song is “We Three Kings,” especially when sung all the way through (verse 5 is nothing like any other Christmas carol known).
dearieme – I prefer the German version “O Tannenbaum” to “O Christmas Tree”.
Nick
December 20, 2009, 3:01 pmwesley says:
The best Christmas song is “The Christmas Song”. It’s not just my favorite. It’s actually the best one. That’s why Target chose it for their seasonal advertising campaign.
December 20, 2009, 3:02 pmLyric Critic says:
Not rock, but I do like the music used in the Peanuts Xmas special. Jazz, I guess.
December 20, 2009, 3:05 pmDavid McCourt says:
“dearieme says:
Silent Night is even better in German. Are any others better in furrin?”
“Es ist ein Ros entsprungen,” as sung here by the King’s Singers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw6yAlHd8C8
December 20, 2009, 3:09 pmMichelle Dulak Thomson says:
Yeah, I was just going to put in my own vote for “Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen” (=”Lo, how a rose e’er blooming” in the English version I know). And “Joseph, lieber Joseph mein,” particularly dear to me as a violist because of Brahms’ use of it in a song with viola obbligato, “Geistlisches Wiegenlied” (=”Sacred lullaby”).
Another lovely old carol (going even further back in time, and back to English) is “There is no rose of swych virtu.”
December 20, 2009, 3:39 pmkg2v says:
Gad – Uck
December 20, 2009, 4:07 pmLyric Critic says:
I just realized that this is one of the musical pieces from the Peanuts special, though “Vince” Guaraldi is the composer/performer. It has a slightly melancholy sound which I find appropriate for Xmas.
December 20, 2009, 4:33 pmSyd Henderson says:
Good King Kong Looked Out
December 20, 2009, 5:29 pmtherut says:
O Holy Night. Very moving.
December 20, 2009, 7:03 pmJohn Burgess says:
Jeff Walden: Musically, i.e. according to the score, both songs are identical, until an arranger does stuff to it. It’s really the lyrics that differ.
Randy: Not a Christmas song, but try Billy Holiday’s “Sunny Side of the Street” if you want a song that flips the ostensible sensibilities conveyed in the title.
For ‘O Holy Night,’ here’s probably the best version I’ve come across, Georges Thill’s. The song is also known as ‘Minuit Chrétien’. Decidedly not the dirge that many interpreters make of it.
December 20, 2009, 8:05 pmJohn Burgess says:
Forgot the link!
O, Holy Night
December 20, 2009, 8:11 pmLarryA says:
Favorite to sing: “O Holy Night.” Maybe because baritones nail the high note.
Traditional carol: I’ll agree with “Silent Night,” partly because of the story behind its writing, but “What Child is This” is haunting.
Pop: “Silver Bells,” “Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland,” and “Let it Snow.” What can I say, I’m a sucker for love songs.
“Greensleeves” is a love song circa 1500s. The melody by that name was recycled for “What Child is This,” written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix.
December 20, 2009, 8:41 pmU.Va. Grad says:
I want to second “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues. One of the greatest Christmas songs ever written.
December 20, 2009, 8:55 pmJeff Walden says:
Interesting; I always thought What Child is This was much older than 150-odd years.
I guess I should throw in O Tannenbaum by Vince Guaraldi while I’m at it; the jazzy improv bits are just awesome. Really, I should probably just give the entire A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack while I’m at it. :-)
December 20, 2009, 10:33 pmM-K says:
Many favorites, but I’m especially fond of “Santa Claus is Back in Town”–Sugar daddy Elvis sings Leiber & Stroller, 1957:
Got no sleigh with reindeer
No sack on my back
You’re gonna see me comin’ in a big black Cadillac
Oh, it’s Christmas time pretty baby
And the snow is falling on the ground
Well you be a real good little baby
Santa Claus is back in town
Hang up your pretty stockings
And turn off the light
Santa Claus is comin’ down your chimney tonight
Oh, it’s Christmas time pretty baby
And the snow is falling on the ground
Well you be a real good little baby
Santa Claus is back in town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_9pYpyGmwY
December 20, 2009, 11:06 pmAlan K. Henderson says:
“Linus and Lucy,” Vince Guaraldi
The Peanuts theme made its TV premiere on A Charlie Brown Christmas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgoPl35n_AY
December 21, 2009, 3:58 amLouis M says:
” Minuit Chrétien ” sang by a tenor or a baritone with or without a choral, in a big church for a christmas mass only.
Sang by Tino Rossi with his magnificent soft voice with printed lyrics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO8aqal6Q1E&feature=fvw
Sang by Roberto Alagna:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWq5OWYaXDw&feature=related
HAPPY HOLIDAYS !
December 21, 2009, 7:25 amGrumpy Old Man says:
“Fairytale of New York,” by the Pogues.
December 21, 2009, 7:58 amGrumpy Old Man says:
Also the Spanish medieval, “Rio Rio Chiu.”
December 21, 2009, 8:02 amPete Freans says:
“Run Rudolph Run”, sung by Chuck Berry. I also liked the Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet of “Little Drummer Boy”.
December 21, 2009, 8:03 amspeedwell says:
Of the traditionals, my favorites are “The Holly and the Ivy,” along with “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella.” I’ve sung in the Britten and the solo in “O Holy Night,” and in church in “Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen” (while the stink of fear rises from the congregation as they try to manage the unfamiliar melody). Much depends on proper arrangement and accompaniment.
I quite enjoyed Carol of the Bells one year in a choir. We trained for weeks. On concert day we were so keyed up we started, all at the same microsecond, before the choirmaster had quite raised her hands (the look on her face was priceless), and turned the piece into a precise and passionate Russian sleigh ride. Such fun. :)
December 21, 2009, 9:08 amRhode Island Lawyer says:
Traditional – Good King Wenceslas
Pop – Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Ray Charles and Betty Carter
December 21, 2009, 9:39 amASlyJD says:
Traditional: O Holy Night, Adeste Fideles
Pop: Bare Naked Ladies “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlement/We Three Kings”
It’s a nice jazz club feel to the song.
December 21, 2009, 10:28 amScratcher says:
“Father Christmas” by the Kinks has been my favorite from the first time I heard it. I really think this is the first time I’ve seen someone else number it among their favorites!
It’s immature and silly, but my kids have been running around singing the new SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas song… and I gotta say, I get a kick out of it. Simple and to the point: “Don’t Be A Jerk, It’s Christmas!”
December 21, 2009, 12:05 pmJohnG says:
Frankly, anything as long as it’s not sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks!
But, yeah, Silent Night is a classic that evokes all the warm and fuzzies.
How about O Holy Night as performed by Celine Dion? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jr-2eyRtV4)
Doesn’t get much better.
December 21, 2009, 1:11 pmAK says:
We Three Kings, as sung by the Roches.
December 21, 2009, 1:55 pmTactful says:
Roger Whittaker’s “The Governor’s Dream” is sung from the perspective of Quirinius, uneasily receiving a vision of the messiah’s birth.
From the same album, “Darcy the Dragon” is a darling kids’ Christmas song.
December 21, 2009, 3:22 pmJordan Rosenberg says:
Santa, baby …
December 21, 2009, 5:12 pmperformed by Eartha Kitt
ChrisTS says:
WHat Child is This?
Angels We Have Heard on High
Do You Hear What I Hear?
I Saw Three Ships
Silver Bells
Santa, Baby (yes to E. Kitt version)
December 21, 2009, 7:21 pmJeff says:
Porky Pig doing Blue Christmas
December 21, 2009, 8:28 pmKieth says:
I am glad to see “Oh Holy Night” mentioned several times above. It is hauntingly beautiful.
December 21, 2009, 9:01 pmDesiderius says:
Fantasia,
“Classic — O Holy Night
Modern — ??”
Here you go.
I prefer both, personally.
December 22, 2009, 2:44 pm