Ten on Tuesday
Ten favorite holiday songs is an excellent Ten on Tuesday, as you will recall that I've been having a bit of trouble cutting my favorites down to just one, or even two. The truth is that one thing I love about Christmas is the excuse to sing at random times and even once in a while to go caroling. I totally love to sing, even though I don't do it all that well, and usually my vocal stylings are confined to shower or solitude by loud howls and yowls of protest from everyone else who lives in my house.
Nonetheless, I'm going to interpret holiday songs rather broadly to mean songs for any holiday, not just ChristmaHanuKwanzaSaturnalukkah, although admittedly there are relatively few for the rest of the calendar (if you know of any good Columbus Day songs, for heaven's sake speak up). I'm also going to exclude the ones I've already mentioned recently.
Ten Favorite Holiday Songs
Nonetheless, I'm going to interpret holiday songs rather broadly to mean songs for any holiday, not just ChristmaHanuKwanzaSaturnalukkah, although admittedly there are relatively few for the rest of the calendar (if you know of any good Columbus Day songs, for heaven's sake speak up). I'm also going to exclude the ones I've already mentioned recently.
Ten Favorite Holiday Songs
- Good King Wenceslas: I especially like the version of one of my family members, "Good King Wen'slas came to town, riding on a pony..." I didn't learn until I'd been singing the song for many years that the feast of Stephen is December 26, a chilly day in most of the hemisphere.
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen: When hearing this one I always picture in my head a bunch of complacent Victorian worthies in greatcoats. I love the song anyway, don't ask me why.
- Monster Mash: Halloween just isn't complete without hearing this on the radio.
- Auld Lang Syne: I love the easy flow of Dan Fogelberg's lyrics. His songs sound just as if he were telling you a story, only with a few more rhymes.
- O Holy Night: Grant thinks this song is schmaltzy, and he's probably right. I don't care.
- The Twelve Days of Christmas: Twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS! (breeeeeeathe) Fo-our calling birds...
- Do They Know It's Christmas?: Yeah, I know, a huge steaming helping of liberal guilt, but I like it anyway, and need to be reminded. Last night as I took refuge under two quilts to keep warm (being usually cold even when it's not cold out) I thought again how lucky I was to have quilts, thermal underwear, food and shelter, and not to be wondering how I would pay for both heat and gifts. There's probably not a knitblogger alive who doesn't already know it, but in this connection I should probably mention that Stephanie is once more fundraising for Knitters Without Borders.
- Happy Birthday: I had to throw this in, because every kid should feel like their birthday is a holiday at least once. (I also like the French version, Bonne Anniversaire, especially the last line: and next year may we all meet again.)
- Hark, The Herald Angels Sing: This used to be our favorite grandma's-for-Christmas car song, both in the original and in whatever parodies might cross our febrile minds.
- Silent Night
posted by Lucia at
12:39 PM
5 Comments:
You've seen my list so you know my favs. How about We 3 Kings of Orient are, smoking an explosive cigar . . .
By
Carole Knits, at 1:32 PM
Here is a Columbus Day song for you
http://www.sisterschoice.com/activitysss.html#1492 I originally heard it on a cassette tape entitled "Head First and Belly Down" (a song about otters that is now stuck in my head) by Candy Forest and it has been reissued on Sun Sun Shine
By
JR, at 1:38 PM
Heh...my favorite holiday song of any sort is "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie. There was a radio station in Tucson that played it every hour on the hour, all Thanksgiving day. Considering that the song is almost 20 minutes long, that's a lot of Arlo Guthrie!
By
Anonymous, at 2:43 PM
No lie - my husband thought your first song was about an assassination and never understood it. He thought it was 'Good King Wences last looked out.'
Completely agree about Alice's Restaurant. It's one of my most favorite songs. I saw it live and then hugged Arlo backstage after the concert. What's sad about that is I was 17 yrs old at the time and this was the kind of music I liked.
By
Carol, at 5:05 PM
i confess to liking the old timey songs best, the ones i remember from playing records as we decorated the tree when i was very young, and the carols. o holy night, god rest ye merry gentlemen (which i listen to year round as originally intended), it came upon a midnight clear, the little drummer boy, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas (burl ives), what child is this and the barenaked for the holidays album (they do a great job of singing joyously i think, without just redoing some old song).
alice's restaurant is a thanksgiving tradition of ours too (we actually found the restaurant one may too). cheech and chong's "santa claus and his old lady" are a christmas tradition of the same sort of humor.
By
the boogeyman's wife, at 8:33 PM
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