Friday, December 08, 2006

Fa-la-la-la-la, La Friday Five

From the RevGals:

Reverendmother here... those of you who read my blog know I have a love-hate relationship with the 24/7 Christmas music we're subjected treated to in stores and radio (in the U.S. at least). It gets too sentimentally sticky-sweet sometimes, yet I find myself unable to resist it. Nothing says "it's Christmas" to me like John Denver and Rolf the Dog singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." So...

1. A favorite 'secular' Christmas song.

It's really just a silly pop song, and I don't know it's actual title, but I like the song by Wham that goes,
"Last Christmas I gave you my heart,
but the very next day you gave it away.
This year to save me from tears,
I'll give it to someone special."

This song reminds me of Anica and Brigitta, two of my favorite students when I taught English in Budapest the two years after college. They loved this song and were aghast that I had never heard it.

I also like the way George Michael sings the word "special." It's so special.

2. Christmas song that chokes you up (maybe even in spite of yourself--the cheesier the better)

This is easy. I always get choked up when I hear Amy Grant singing the words, "Everyone would have a friend" in the song "Grown-up Christmas List." I can't stand the thought of a friendless person. I don't have the same reaction when Vanessa Williams or Kelly Clarkson sings the song, however. Perhaps I have the feeling that Amy might actually care about lonely people, too.

Now, I hate songs that seem crafted just to yank the tears from your tear ducts. Which brings me to.....

3. Christmas song that makes you want to stuff your ears with chestnuts roasted on an open fire.

I think the song is called "Christmas Shoes" by a Christian group called Newsong. It's about a little girl who wants to buy her dying mommy a certain pair of shoes so that she'll look pretty when she goes to see Jesus. That song is all over the radio here!

4. The Twelve Days of Christmas: is there *any* redeeming value to that song? Discuss.

Ummm.... It's a good mind exercise to help prevent memory loss?

5. A favorite Christmas album

Truthfully, my favorite is an acoustic guitar Christmas tape that I got from the dollar store.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Christmas Shoes--share the misery!

1-4 Grace said...

There is even a shoe movie (w/ Kimberly Williams as he mommy) and a book to add to the fun!
12 Days sung by Muppets is the most fun, but my mom has a sweater with the 12 days all messed up. I think it was made in another country, perhaps not so familar with the song.

Iris said...

Geez- I've been blissfully unaware of the movie!

chartreuseova said...

Oh yeah, I remember "Last Christmas". Not one of my favorites, tho. But much more enjoyable than the Christmas Shoes.