Favorite and Least Favorite Christmas Songs

[David]

Do you have favorite & least favorite Christmas songs?

FAVES:
"Carol of the Bells"
A wind-whipped wail of erotic frustration; THE classic example of Ukrainian canon perpetuus (or perpetual canon). Works best in traditional orchestral settings, but has been known to be performed on a variety of household utensils & tools.

"Burgundian Carol"
Oscar Brand's immortal carol in triple meter, incorporating the natural minor & modal tonality, as well as a curious syntax in the lyric & a mysterious figurative play on the words "oxen" & "donkeys."

"Some Children See Him"
This poignant plea for equality, written on the major 7th, can be understood with equal validity as a gentle explication of the vagaries of anomalous trichromacy in the very young. Utterly memorable from first note to last.

"O Come, O Come, Immanuel"
Not a particularly extraordinary melody, unless you happen to be a big fan of church plainchant. The melismatic quality of the piece (which dates from the 13th century) exerts a soporific effect on the singers as well as the listeners, which is only compounded if performed in the original Latin. First-rate stuff.

LEAST:
There's very little that's worse than "Suzy Snowflake" ("Here comes Suzy Snowflake, dressed in a snow white gown/Tap, tap, tappin' at your window pane to tell you she's in town") or "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)?" Songs like these are enough to drive even the gentlest Christmas spirit into a violent dither.


Even though my descriptions are tongue in cheek, these are several of my favorite songs & carols.

[jbrownsjr]

I love love love....

Happy Holidays....
Carol of the Bells... (love the family guy version too... ding fries are done)

[JWS]

I can do without "Jingle Bells"

[GypsySorcerer]

Favorites:

"O Holy Night" -- When sang well, gives me goosebumps.
"Happy Xmas (War is Over)"
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (especially Judy's version)
"Do You Hear What I Hear?"
"Parade of the Wooden Soldiers"
"Merry Christmas, Darling" -- Carpenter's version
"Auld Lang Syne"

Don't Like:
"Jingle Bells"
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
"Twelve Days of Christmas"

[tuigirl]

Well...having heard a repeated CD of many British Xmas songs in our shop, going over and over..... (and slowly losing the will to live....)...I've decided, I'm not sure if I care for any...except "I wish it was Xmas every day" by Wizzard...and thats because I went to see him last month in concert and he was fantastic, still got the voice (he's gotta be 60 something) and a wicked sense of humour (he's a Brummy, so there you go)

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Favorites:

"O Holy Night" -- When sang well, gives me goosebumps.
"Happy Xmas (War is Over)"
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (especially Judy's version)
"Merry Christmas, Darling" -- Carpenter's version

I agree with all the above

Just want to add Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl

[mylittledemon]

faves:

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas--by just about anyone
Thank God its Christmas--Queen
Please Come Home for Christmas--the Eagles
Christmas All Over Again--Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Christmastime is Here--Vince Guaraldi
The First Noel--artist?
Last Christmas--Wham
Run Run Rudolph (Chuck Berry)

not so faves:

Jingle Bells
Mary Did you know (I think thats the name)
Little Drummer Boy (except the Bowie/Bing version is bearable)
Santa Baby
Do They Know Its Christmastime At All

[jannieC]

Favorites:

O Holy Night
Silent Night
Carol of the Bells
Happy Xmas
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Little Drummer Boy
Father Christmas- The Kinks
Auld Lang Syne
Christmas Wrapping- The Waitresses
Little Drummer Boy (some versions)
Do You Hear What I Hear?

Least:

Santa Baby
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Barbara Streisand's Jingle Bells

I'm sure there are more that I *don't* like; those are just the few that come to mind this early AM.

[David]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

"Do You Hear What I Hear?"

I was just practicing that on the piano a few days ago. I have the SATB choral arrangement ... you know the one ... the one all our junior high glee clubs sing in the Christmas concert in the campus auditorium. If anyone wants me to post PDFs of the sheet music, give a holler.

There's another song I like: Children, Go Where I Send Thee

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Gypsy-Rhiannon

Just want to add Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl

Love:

Silent Night (Stevie)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (pretty much anyone, but I love the Pretenders' version)
Coventry Carol
Winter Wonderland
Baby Please Come Home

Merry Christmas from the Family (Robert Earl Keen)...lyrics:

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk at our Christmas party
We were drinking champagne punch and homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn't know what to think of him until he sang
Felis Navidad, Felis Navidad

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins from his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kay
Who talks all about AA
Chain smoking while the stereo plays Noel, Noel
The First Noel

Carve the Turkey
Turn the ball game on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the Quickpak Store
We need some ice and an extension chord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites
A box of tampons, Marlboro Lights
Haleluja everybody say Cheese
Merry Christmas from the family

Fred and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our Christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw a breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night, Oh Silent Night, Oh Holy Night

Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
Make Bloody Marys
Cause We All Want One!
Send somebody to the Stop 'N Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprites
A box of tampons, some Salem Lights
Haleluja, everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the Family

Sweet! I found the video:




Don't love:

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime (sorry, Paul)

Then there's this....

Christmas Carols for the Psychologically Challenged

1. Schizophrenia
-- Do You Hear What I Hear, the Voices, the Voices?

2. Amnesia
--I Don't Remember If I'll be Home for Christmas

3. Narcissistic Personality Disorder
-- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

4. Bipolar Disorder (Manic Episode)
-- Deck The Halls And Walls And House And Lawn And Streets And Stores And Office And Town And Cars And Buses And Trucks And Trees And Fire Hydrants And.......

5. Multiple Personality Disorder
-- We Three Kings Disoriented Are

6. Paranoid
-- Santa Claus Is Coming To Get Us

7. Borderline Personality Disorder
-- You Better Watch Out, You Better not Shout, I'm Gonna Cry, and I'll not Tell You Why

8. Antisocial Personality Disorder
-- Thoughts of Roasting You On an Open Fire

9. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
-- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

10. Agoraphobia
-- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day But Wouldn't Leave My House

11. Alzheimer's Disease/Senile Dementia
-- Walking In a Winter Wonderland Miles from My House in My Slippers and Robe

12. Oppositional Defiant Disorder
-- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus So I Burned Down the House

13. Social Anxiety Disorder
-- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate

AND FINALLY:

14. Attention Deficit Disorder
-- We Wish You......Hey Look!! It's Snowing!!!

[estranged4life]

Dont hate many, but my favorite is "No Presents for Christmas" by King Diamond:

[skcin]

Late, but I don't care. Faves:

O Holy Night - Martina McBride's or Celine Dion's version give me chills. Kelly Clarkson's is fabulous vocally, but too choppy musically. HATE Harry Connick Jr's version, which I just heard this year. It actually made me feel a little scared.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy or The Pretenders

Little Drummer Boy - Peggy Lee (just heard this version, I really like it) Bob Seger's also.

Baby It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin. Oh, and Tom Jones, for some bizarre reason

Happy Xmas (War is Over) - Melissa Etheridge

Christmas Day - Dido

River - Sarah McLachlan's version

Please Come Home For Christmas - The Eagles

Blue Christmas - Elvis

Santa Claus is Coming To Town - Eye Sack & Stevie

Jingle Bells - Jimmy Buffett

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Baby Please Come Home: The Ronettes

Santa Baby - Madonna



Not so much:

Feliz Navidad - I swear, if they had played this one more time over the holidays I was going to tear out my car stereo with my bare hands. Same goes for It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Suzy Snowflake - I couldn't agree more, David.

Mary Did You Know - Clay Aiken. Barf.

Most newer Xmas songs, which don't really sound like Christmas songs, they just throw the word "Christmas" in there a few times for the hell of it. Christmas Shoes, Dear Mr. Jesus, etc.

Happy Holidays. It's the way she says at the end "Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!" that irks me for some reason.

[TheWILDheart]

My fav xmas song EVER is Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty McColl but some of my others include Stevie's 'Silent Night', Wizzard's 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday', 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' by The Idols and 'The Christmas Song' by Nat King Cole. I cannot be doing with ANYTHING by Cliff-frigging-Richard and I've heard Slade that many times it's annoying me now. Also I can't stand 'Step Into Christmas' by Elton John or 'Last Christmas' by Wham.

[skcin]

^ Oh, yes, I love Nat King Cole's Christmas Song too, I forgot that one.

I like Step Into Christmas. Last Christmas - meh. I also like Billy Squier's "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You."

[Steviefan49]

Originally Posted by TheWILDheart

My fav xmas song EVER is Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty McColl but some of my others include Stevie's 'Silent Night', Wizzard's 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday', 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' by The Idols and 'The Christmas Song' by Nat King Cole. I cannot be doing with ANYTHING by Cliff-frigging-Richard and I've heard Slade that many times it's annoying me now. Also I can't stand 'Step Into Christmas' by Elton John or 'Last Christmas' by Wham.

Oh boy do I have to say I agree with this one! LOL.. For the very first time- ever, I heard Fairytale of New York and "LOL'd" my way through Christmas. Everywhere I went, I had that song on my mind.. and I even pulled it up on Youtube, and loved the video as well! I SOOOO can't believe that Kristy McColl is gone, as she was GREAT!