06 December, 2006

Meme: Christmas Songs

I have been double tagged (at least.)

And since posting is currently easier than commenting, ;-), here we go.

Probably, my favorite Christmas song of all time is the Little Drummer boy.

I know, it's part of a kids play. It's about a child who doesn't have any frankinscense or myrrh. And let's face it, when he beats out his little tune for the newborn king, it probably sounded something like a little drummer boy beating out a tune. But that song. Doggone, it makes me cloud over almost every time I'm alone and really get to sing along. When that Baby looks at the little boy and smiles....

Behind that comes Oh Night Divine. I love to hold a dramatic note, and OND is just full of those, and at all the right places, praising the right One.

Then, just start listing songs about Jesus and ignoring songs about Christmas, and you pretty much have my list. Joy to the World, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, etc.

I celebrate Christmas, with all its gaudy money flying around like skeeters in the Georgia dusk, but it makes me ill to sing about products. If I happened to feel like being a good enough sport to sing Frosty the Snowman, I still won't be a good enough sport to do it with a smile on my face. Sorry.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I’m not sure how Frosty came about but the red nosed reindeer was marketing. Then again so is Christmas (if we let it) I was in the stores today {{{{shutter}}}} tossing the cash about.

Um I still want a laptop computer and one of those black berry things and someone to teach me how to use them. ;-} And that necklace from Zales.

Good list The Little Drummer Boy gets to me. I love the Bing and Bowe version on U tube and I’ve said that a lot lately. I so remember that when it was on television, yes I’m that old.

DougALug said...

I just got Sarah Mclauclan's newest Christmas album: truly one of the better Christmas albums that I have ever owned.

There is a medly song incorporating Noel, the First Noel, and Mary Mary on it. It is spectacular.

... What Child Is This are Oh Holy Night are my favorite Christmas songs, but Phil Keaggy/Kim Hill duet of God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen on the Our Christmas album is still one of the coolest of all.

Amy Grant singing Breath Of Heaven, and Heirlooms round out my list.

==> Michael W Smith has an awesome Christmas album too. The one with Lux Venit on it, not the other cheesy one.

==> Both of Amy Grants Christmas albums rate high with me.

God Bless
Doug

DougALug said...

oops... one other great album: Selah's Christmas album.

Halelujah (Hail Hail) is just a year-round awesome song.

=Doug

Anonymous said...

Great picks, CP.
I don't know if I ever knew it before, but it would seem that Little Drummer Boy (and specitically the Bing/Bowie version) is dominating the Christmas song lists this year! And I like the tearful trailing off of that last sentence about Drummer Boy. I got all choked up with ya!

CP, I never took you for a "secular Christmas" curmudgeon! What has Frosty to do with products? I don't get it. Only the bad guy of the film wants "stuff."


And Mil-Gurl, what does Rudolph have to do with marketing. If anything, Herbie and Rudolph are trying to escape the trappings of the world (and perhaps earn the attention of a certain little doe...woohoo!!!)

Aw phooey! Give me Santa Clause is coming to town, and all the rest. I love 'em.

Andreia Huff said...

My favorite Christmas song is Chris Isaak's Brightest Star.
The lyrics
make me weepy in a happy kind of way.

The other song on that album, Christmas, is Got to Be Good. I sing it to my kids starting about Halloween.

Weekend Fisher said...

What Child Is This, definitely, and Joy to the World.

Anonymous said...

Danny,

Rudolph was introduced by Montgomery Wards. Rudolph came to life in 1939 when the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company asked one of their copywriters, Robert L. May, to come up with a Christmas story they could give away to shoppers as a promotional gimmick.. They were skeptical that folks might think the reindeer a drunk but he had a sketch made up and they must have liked it because we spend a chunk of change on the products and watch the movies. It worked for May he needed the money.

It just isn’t my favorite nor is Frosty.

Anonymous said...

My song list is on my blog--I wanted to add to the Christmas show discussion...

We try to watch every cheesy/ridiculous/what's this got to do with Christmas anyway? show that we can find--Santa Claus and the Martians anyone?

Remember "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas?" He steals all of their (insert Dr. Seuss rhyme here)to make sure the Whos don't have Christmas--and they all gather on Christmas Morning to sing the Who version of "Happy Birthday, Jesus!"
anyway.

Reminds me every time what is really important--even if it isn't really Jesus' birthday.

pearlie said...

I still won't be a good enough sport to do it with a smile on my face. Sorry.

I am with you. I can't be singing much of I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, but it has been ringing in my head lately.