Christmas music

[Petrie.]

Do you prefer one or the other, have favorites, etc.?

I kind of like both but I definitely have more secular stuff than religious stuff.  I really like the song "Sleigh Ride", really no matter who performs it.  Leroy Anderson made a nice instrumental version that nobody's been able to touch even if there's been covers of it. "Feliz Navidad" is also a fun one...only Jose Feliciano's rendition...I haven't heard a good cover of this one yet.  As for the religious side of Christmas, the one song I've over a dozen renditions of is "O Holy Night".  I really don't know why, but it seems like a respectful kind of song to think about and why the holiday of Christmas exists.  The best version I've heard is the one with Sandi Patti and the London Symphony Orchestra.

So share your holiday tunes if you listen to them.

[Kor]

There are so many good Christmas songs, I'd find it hard to pick just one.

[Manny Cav]

I like Christmas music during this season. Some of my favorites are "Merry Christmas (War is Over)," the forementioned "O Holy Night," "Jingle Bell Rock," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer," among others.

[Amaranthine]

Hmmm

I shall resurrect this topic!  

My three favorite holiday songs would have to be: White Christmas, Walking in the Air, and A Song for Winter's Night.

[StarfallRaptor]

I have too many favorites to list.  
The one that springs to mind though, is "Here Comes Santa Claus"

[Kor]

I like many of the classic ones.  Quite a few to name.

[Cancerian Tiger]

My favorites are:

*O Holy Night
*Silent Night
*The First Noel
*My Grown-Up Christmas List
*All I Want For Christmas Is You-Mariah Carey
*What Child Is This?
*Metallica and the Transiberian Orchestra's version of "Carol of the Bells"

My most favorite of all is "Carol of the Bells".  I miss singing that with my choir at Christmas time (one of just a few things I miss from being out of high school).  

Now, I know there are members who enjoy humor.  I know a few funnies, but if you're offended by crude or adult humor (not too graphic in these songs, but oh well :), don't say I did not warn ya ::

*Jeff Foxworthy's Twelve Redneck Days of Christmas
*Chipmunks Roasting On An Open-Fire
*Twelve Pains of Christmas (very true, too )
*The Real Slim Santa
*I Farted On Santa's Lap
*You Ain't Getting S*** For Christmas!
*Who Put the D*** On the Snowman?
*Leroy the Redneck Reindeer
*The Night Santa Went Crazy-Weird Al Yankovic

Don't worry, these songs are not that bad.  Well, "Real Slim Santa" gets a little dirty, but I can't take too much of that kind of humor, so trust me...it's not terrible .

[Petrie.]

*Jeff Foxworthy's Twelve Redneck Days of Christmas
*Chipmunks Roasting On An Open-Fire
*Twelve Pains of Christmas (very true, too )

Can't go wrong with these.  You want a flannel shirt for x-mas?

[buffypii]

Well, personally, Christmas is my fav holiday, for several reasons... One being the Christmas carols!
And because the music is a very big part of Christmas, I have many carols I like, but here's some:

"White Christmas"

The reason I like that one is because, I couldn't imagine my Christmas without snow... I guess if I lived somewhere there wasn't snow, I could manage, but because I live in the north, snow has been a big part of Christmas for me!

"Happy Holidays"

I just think it has a cheery tune to it!!
It makes me happy!

"Away In A Manger"

I think it's a nice song, it reminds me of a lullabye!!

And here are some more:

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Angels We Have Heard On High
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Silent Night


and so many more....
I just love Christmas! And most of it's carols!!

[StarfallRaptor]

This is one of my favorite songs of all time!
back

   

A Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney

Ding, dong, ding, dong Ding, dong, ding, dong
The mood is right The spirits up
Were here tonight And that's enough
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time

The party's on The feelings here
It's all because This time of year
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time

Don't cry poor children, sing this song
Ding, dong, ding, dong, Ding, dong, ding.
The word is out About the town
So lift your glass And don't look down
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time

The mood is right The spirits up
Were here tonight And that's enough
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time

[Vilstrup]

This is one of my favorites, out of many


God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

"Fear not then," said the Angel,
"Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might."
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

[Stitch]

My favorites would have to be "All I Want for Christmas is you" by Mariah Carey and "Where are you, Christmas?" by Faith Hill.

[NeoGenesis005]

Jingle Bells
O Holy Night
Silent Night
12 Days of Christmas.

[ImpracticalDino]

"Bumpity, bump, bump, bumpity, bump, bump! Look at Frosty go!"

In other news, I'll be bumping this thread.

Can anyone guess what song did that line came from?


Here's a song I'm listening to right now.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MFJ7ie_yGU

[Flathead770]

Now that Halloween is done it is officially Christmas time according to retail! (Though in actuality it started well before that as well for me. Don't have to listen to Christmas songs quite yet though thankfully)

I remember this song getting quite a bit of flak last year due to the aggressive nature of the man in the song. What I find humorous is that a person on Twitter rolled with that idea but turned it into a climate change joke

[ImpracticalDino]

Well, believe it or not, stores actually put in Christmas items at the same time that they put in Halloween ones. It goes to show how universally loved Christmas is. It's no surprise really, I think about Christmas all the time. I even listen to Christmas music in the middle of summer sometimes.

I remember this song getting quite a bit of flak last year due to the aggressive nature of the man in the song.

Lol, it's almost as if nobody paid attention to the second portion of the song, where the gender roles were reversed. (Not directed towards you btw)
The women was much more aggressive at trying to make the man stay then the first part where the man tried to make the women stay. Double standards, am I right?


And I agree, it's also all about context. Back in the 40s, it was weird for women to stay at a man's house that she wasn't married to, so in the song she kept making excuses on why she had to leave, not why she wanted to leave.

[StardustSoldier]

I like Christmas as well (though not as much as Halloween), to the point that I too will sometimes listen to favourite Christmas songs of mine during other times of the year. Although that said, it always seemed silly to me when people will specifically start playing Christmas music in November. And there are certain songs that I feel get overplayed. Can't people at least wait until December?

[ImpracticalDino]

^Well, that’s a first for me. Someone who actually likes Halloween more than Christmas? Just curious btw.

But in regards to the rest of your post StardustSoldier, I do agree how ridiculous it is to wait until November to play Christmas music. Like really, what law/rule is preventing people from listening to that type of music before November anyway? Just listen to Christmas music because you enjoy it, not because it is near a specific time of year. That’s what I say in my opinion.

And when you mention overplayed Christmas music...cough, All I Want For Christmas is You, cough, Mariah Carey, cough.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy listening to it, but it seems like the only Christmas song that popular radios play (excluding radios that play exclusively Christmas music of course, either near Christmas or full time).

I love Classic Christmas Music. The 40s and 50s seem to be the best decade in terms of Christmas Music in my opinion. None of that charm can be replicated in today’s music unfortunately in my opinion.

[StardustSoldier]

Although that said, it always seemed silly to me when people will specifically start playing Christmas music in November. And there are certain songs that I feel get overplayed. Can't people at least wait until December?

I don't think I communicated my earlier point as well as I could have. The reason why I find playing Christmas music in November to be silly is because it just feels like jumping the gun. I agree with you that it should be okay to play Christmas music at any time of the year. But, as long as people are waiting until around that time to play Christmas music, then it makes more sense to me to just start once December begins. When I start hearing Christmas music in November, then I'm like, Come on, guys, it's still over a month away. That, and it ties into my problem with songs being overplayed, because then you have to hear those same songs for longer.

Hmm, I'm not overly familiar with that Mariah Carey song you mentioned. Maybe they don't play it as often where I live?

When I think of overplayed Christmas songs, I think of "Jingle Bells", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", etc. I get that they're classics, but eh, I'd prefer more variety. There's lots of more obscure Christmas tunes out there to choose from.

As for why I prefer Halloween, I just like the spirit of it a little better. Ghosts, goblins, creepy things, etc. is more up my alley. I find Halloween to be more imaginative and "dangerous" in a way. That, and I occasionally find Christmas shopping to be stressful, or at least a bit hectic, whereas Halloween doesn't come with that extra baggage.

And lastly, I'm not entirely sure why, but autumn/Halloween is a very nostalgic time for me in general. I often feel sentimental during September and October in a way that I don't feel at other times in the year.

[ImpracticalDino]

I already knew that you were talking about people waiting until November to play Christmas music, but I didn’t know you complained because “If you’re going to wait the entire year and not play Christmas music until then, why not wait until December?” Thank you for clarifying your point.

Hmm, I'm not overly familiar with that Mariah Carey song you mentioned. Maybe they don't play it as often where I live?

Now, that’s real shocking. That’s like the most overplayed song on the radio near Christmas time ever! Maybe your right that it’s not played as often in Canada. Hmm...
That song was made in 1994 by the way, so it’s not exactly new per say, but it is modern.

I had a feeling that you would mention those Classic Christmas songs. Admittedly, since I have a huge bias preference towards them, I didn’t mention them as “overplayed” in my original post despite knowing full well how much they are. I just love them too much to get tired of the songs no matter how much they’re played honestly. But ultimately, I agree that there’s a wide selection of other Christmas music to choose from, which is exactly why I have a Christmas Playlist to compile a lot of them.

I get and see your reasons why you may think that way of Halloween. Hmm...perhaps being born near the time of Autumn has influenced your interests? Maybe.

When you mention Christmas shopping, that reminded me of a comical Christmas song called The Twelve Pains of Christmas, a parody of The Twelve Days of Christmas. It was made by Bob Rivers in 1987. Here’s the YouTube video of it.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=AMUVVnA0B_w