This post comes with another round of disclaimers. The content is not my usual writing about bees, gardens and dogs. During the winter months, I am writing posts for my Out of Left Field collection. My parents, who read my blog, asked for another disclaimer. They are concerned that my readers will think my dislike of Christmas music is tied to my childhood Christmas experiences. For the record, my parents made Christmas awesome. Anything good in me comes from parents. I claim full responsibility for my idiosyncrasies and peculiarities.
This year is the first time I have admitted publicly that I don’t like Christmas music. I mustered the courage to tell my husband several years ago, but I could tell from his reaction that maybe this is not the sort of information that I should share with other people. I have really tried hard to like Christmas music because it seems that is what “normal” people do. Now that I have survived the pandemic, overcome a wicked case of depression, and am closing in on the half century mark, I don’t really care anymore about being normal. I hate Christmas music!
My first objection is strictly on an artistic basis. Christmas music has a stunning lack of originality. The birth of Jesus Christ and the resurrection are the two most significant events in all of human history for people of the Christian faith. Yet the number of Christmas songs is relatively small. Look at the country music genre. Country singers have come up with thousands of songs about drinking beer after a breakup. I could probably name 100 of them without trying very hard. I’m not sure I could name 100 Christmas songs even if I include obscure ones like “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” Why are there not more original Christmas songs? When I still desperately wanted to be normal, I listened to Christmas music all day on the radio. The same 20 songs played over and over again every day, every week through Christmas. By December 26, listening to Aerosmith made me feel like Steven Tyler was personally scratching an itch I hadn’t been able to reach all Christmas season. When singers do release new Christmas albums, few have original music. They just sing all the same standards. I don’t want to hear anyone else sing Jingle Bells. Not Adele. Not Beyoncé. Not even George Straight, and I would normally be willing to listen to George Straight sing anything including terms and conditions of my cell phone agreement.
The other reason I don’t like Christmas music is that it only allows for one human emotion, happiness. The problem is that humans have a full spectrum of emotions, and most of them get magnified during the holiday season. Happiness is one emotion you may have at Christmas, but what if you are struggling with health issues, grief, job loss, or divorce? How do you cope with all of those feelings while you are listening to someone croon that it is the most wonderful time of the year? In the last two years, I have had over a dozen friends who have lost a parent. Christmas is not the happiest time of year for them as they try to create new holiday traditions. What song do you sing for that? Several years ago my uncle died just a few weeks before Christmas. We were very close. I vividly recall sitting in church listening to Christmas music. I felt like I was made of glass and about to shatter into a million pieces, but you can’t cry in the middle of a Christmas program because you are supposed to be happy at Christmas.
I don’t hate all Christmas music. There are two Christmas songs I can listen to continuously on a loop all Christmas season. The first is “Last Christmas” by Wham. If you don’t know the song, I’m leaving the link for the video here. Why do I love this song so much? First, the song is original. Wham didn’t just decide to sing Jingle Bells. Second, the song embodies eighties pop music. If I close my eyes and listen to this song, I feel 16 again. I can smell the Aqua Net and Polo cologne that permeated that air of the eighties. Say what you want about George Michaels, but he had the voice of an angel, God rest his soul. The second Christmas song I love is not even a Christmas song. It is one of those misunderstood songs where everybody thinks they know what the song is about but they really don’t. I’m talking about “Hard Candy Christmas” sung by Dolly Parton. This song came from the soundtrack of the musical “The Best Little Whorehouse” in Texas. The song was originally meant to be an ensemble song, but the best version is the Dolly Parton solo. If you don’t know the song, I’ll leave the link here. Why do I love this song? This is the Christmas song for everyone having a difficult time. The lyrics acknowledge that everything will eventually be fine, but right now things are very hard. The song is about a group of out of work prostitutes whose brothel has been closed. Dolly Parton is a musical genius and can even make a song about sex work sound magical.
What should you do this Christmas season if you like Christmas music? Listen to it! Crank it up. Play it as early and often as you like. You don’t need to change anything. However, if you are struggling this Christmas season, you aren’t alone and you don’t have to be alone. Come sit by me. We’ll listen to Dolly together, or we can listen to Wham. I’ll let you choose.
Married with Bees 
I completely agree with the overt happiness crammed in our faces this time of year and your thoughts on Dolly and Wham, however, not to sound argumentative, but consider Elvis’ Blue Christmas, Vince Guaraldi’s Christmas Time Is Here (the title sounds jolly, but there are haunting and melancholy undertones), The Pougue’s Fairy Tale of NY, and Merle Haggard’s If We Make it Through December…they’re not the most upbeat Christmas tunes.
Thank you for sharing 💜
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Great music suggestions. Thank you!
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Well, I must admit that I totally love Christmas music, but only because I hand select what I listen to based on a very strict criteria too complicated to discuss here. Here is a clue to my taste in Christmas music. I would rather Rhave my forehead vigorously rubbed by a strong man armed with only a manual cheese grader than listen to songs like Christmas Shoes or Here comes
However, 98.4% of the Christmas songs that I liste to usually receive one of 3 responses from people that I share them with. The responses are:
“I’ve never heard this before.”
“You are actually more bizarre than I have ever imagined.”
I love you and your weirdness and I want to spend nearly every one of my living, breathing moments in your arms.
Actually, my wife is the only one who said that last sentence that I shared with you. Also, I embellished a little because technically she really said, “this song is pretty cool” or “you, husband are a rather strange individual but I do still love you.” I am going to send you my personal favorite top 11 Christmas songs, but only if you promise to listen to them (even halfheartedly while simultaneously reading a book and plating and Parcheesi with Doug.) I will also make this bold prediction, you will like at least half of my selections and you may be forced to repent for not liking O Holy Night as God convicts your wretched soul🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Nice work on all of your blogs.
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Allen, you are the first person I have ever met whose dislike of the Christmas Shoes song is as strong as mine. I would love to hear your Christmas music list, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that Christmas at Denny’s is on that list. 🙂
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In general, I hate Christmas music because it makes me sad. It frustrates me that December is packed with all kinds of activities, pressure of buying gifts, and everyone is so damn “happy”! (Why can’t we have a potluck and concert in middle of February when everyone is depressed?)
Last Christmas is awesome though! I also like Where are you Christmas by Faith Hill and Christmas Mornings by Richard Marx. They make me cry and sometimes you need a good cry.
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Every year I say the same thing about Christmas. I wish it could be on February too! Since Jesus was probably born in the Spring, it’d be closer to his birthday and bring much more cheer during February when it’s very much needed.
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Amen!
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I love your idea to move some of the potlucks and concerts to February. I agree that December is so busy that it sucks the fun out of everything.
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Amen! I am totally with you sister!!! Ive kept my aversion to most Christmas music a secret for a long time. So much shaming from the White Christmas brigade. What a liberating feeling to know I’m not alone. While Christ’s birth is a reason to be thankful, sometimes, often times, the season is stressful, sad and overwhelming. So. Much. Pressure. And the Christmas music is sooooo redundant. It literally makes me cringe. Much like some of the modern worship music – verse, chorus, repeat verse, repeat chorus, repeat chorus, bridge, repeat chorus ad nauseam …….but that’s another blog topic and a sure way to start a church split. I will say though, that i do really enjoy some of the old, really old, Like the Rat Pack old, Christmas music. Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin sing like they mean it, not like they’re trying to do the vocal calisthenics of some music today. Did that make me sound old? It made me sound old didn’t it? Well – I’ll be brave and own it like you have. I dont like Christmas music either. And I consider myself in good company. (Big Sigh) what a relief to get that off my chest. 🙂
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Kim, you make me feel so much better. To know someone I respect and admire so much feels the same is very comforting. 😊
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Thank you for this post❤️it helped me to take a deep breath and feel a little normal. I will listen to the Dolly Parton song. I’ve been listening to November rain by guns roses, but I do love George Michael.
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I’m glad the post helped.
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