What's your favorite Christmas Song?

[WI_DEM]

Mine is "Santa Baby" as sung by Eartha Kitt. She makes it all sound so sexy.

As far as traditional I would say "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

[underpants]

1. Alvin wants a HUUULA HOOOP!

or Mele Kilekimaka

[WI_DEM]

2. I'm listening to the Alvin and the Chipmunk Xmas album right now

[MatrixEscape]

3. Merry F'ing Christmas ...

That video that's been playing on the Comedy Channel, by Dennis Leary.

[eauclaireliberal]

9. RE:"Merry F'ing Christmas ..."

Yes! Leary rules.

[NamVetsWeeLass]

4. Rockin around the X-mas Tree....

But growing up with my Crazy Mother did give me one thing...
To me X-mas Music is the Beatles.

[Englander]

5. Pogues/Kirsty MacColl-Fairytale of New York

http://www.pogues.com/Releases/Lyrics/LPs/IfIShould/Fairytale.html

[demily]

6. Happy Xmas

Happy Xmas (War is Over) by John Lennon. It's so damn relevant this year that it makes me tear up every time I hear it!

[Lavender Brown]

7. Blue Christmas

Traditional: Joy to the World

[Philostopher]

8. Interesting bit of trivia about 'Merry Little Christmas'

Most versions of it now have one of the lines changed. The song was, as far as I know, written for Judy Garland to sing in "Meet Me In St. Louis," and there was a line:

Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow,

The last phrase in most versions I've heard over the years has been changed to

hang a shining star upon the highest bough,

which I don't like as well.

Any time I see that movie, or hear the line as originally written, it almost makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It darkens the song considerably, of course, and I'm sure that's why it's frequently altered -- but the 'muddle through' version is the one I like.

And my favorite is the one Mel Torme most famously did (there have been other versions), which I think is just called 'The Christmas Song' (starts out chestnuts roasting on an open fire).

I also like 'O Tannenbaum' sung in German -- we did it in high school, decades ago, and it was fun to sing. Of course, so was 'Hark How The Bells,' but that one's more fun to sing than it is to listen to!

[Lavender Brown]

11. Maybe the sadder version of the song reflected the mood

Since it came out during the war, even though the movie doesn't take place then.

[Philostopher]

13. I'm sure that was part of it.

"Meet Me In St. Louis" was typical of big-production movies of that era -- and I believe the neigbor boy, with whom Judy Garland's character was canoodling in the movie, was sent off the World War I in the plot, wasn't he?

That movie's on my list of 'movies that have Christmas in the plot that aren't Christmas movies' -- a friend of mine and I were putting one together, years ago. Maybe I ought to post that in the Lounge here, if I find it, or over in Pop Culture -- I had somewhere around a dozen titles on it when I gave up on it, but I always pull it back out around this time of year. You know, movies like 'Brazil' and 'Better Off Dead' that include Christmas as part of the plot, but they're not really Christmas movies? I think 'Meet Me In St. Louis' was the one that got my friend and me started on it, in fact. That or 'Holiday Inn,' the first one with the song White Christmas in it.

'Holiday Inn' is another WWII era movie that was a little darker than most, in fact.

[Lavender Brown]

17. I would like Holiday Inn for the Christmas scenes but

the scene where Bing Crosby sings as a slave in blackface ruins the movie.

[Philostopher]

19. Not nice, it's true ...

I never bought a copy of it for myself, I'd forgotten about that. Of course, there are lots of 'political disconnects' in those old, pre-civil-rights era movies. The depiction of women in many movies from that era makes me cringe, too.

[bowens43]

10. Christmas Song - JethroTull

Christmas Song

Once in royal david’s city stood a lonely cattle shed,
Where a mother held her baby.
You’d do well to remember the things he later said.
When you’re stuffing yourselves at the christmas parties,
You’ll just laugh when I tell you to take a running jump.
You’re missing the point I’m sure does not need making
That christmas spirit is not what you drink.

So how can you laugh when your own mother’s hungry,
And how can you smile when the reasons for smiling are wrong?
And if I just messed up your thoughtless pleasures,
Remember, if you wish, this is just a christmas song.

(hey! santa! pass us that bottle, will you? )

[bif]

12. "Have yourself a shitty little Christmas"

My take on a classic.

[WI_DEM]

15. watch out for those three spirits on Christmas Eve

:)

[arwalden]

14. Silver Bells, Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, Sleigh Ride, WinterWnderlnd

[dr.strangelove]

16. GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER

[jus_the_facts]

18. Please Come Home For Christmas

Bells will be ringing this sad sad news
Oh what a Christmas to have the blues
My baby's gone I have no friends
To wish me greetings once again
Cries will be singing Silent Night
Christmas carols by candlelight

Please come home for Christmas
Please come home for Christmas
If not for Christmas by New Years night

Friends and relations send salutations
Sure as the stars shine above
But this is Christmas
Yes Christmas my dear
The time of year to be with the ones you love

So won't you tell me you'll never more roam
Christmas and new Years will find you home
There'll be no more sorrow no grief and pain
And I'll be happy, happy once again
Oh there'll be no more sorrow, no grief and pain
And I'll be happy, Christmas once again

[mac56]

20. "Cool Yule" by Steve Allen

From Coney Island to the Sunset Strip
Somebody's gonna make a groovy trip
Tonight, while the moon is bright

He's gonna have a bag of crazy toys
To give the hippest of the girls and boys
So dig, Santa comes on big

He'll come a-callin' when the snow's the most
When all you cats are sleepin' warm as toast
And you gonna flip when Old Saint Nick
Plays a lick on the peppermint stick

He'll come a-flyin' from a higher place
And fill the stockings by the fireplace
So you'll have a yule that's cool

[u4ic]

21. Carol of the Bells n/t