5 Gems in the Nontraditional Christmas Song Bag of Coal
Reach deep into the bag of coal and you’ll find some gems!
Last week I suggested alternatives to the sleighload of tired (or bad) versions of traditional Christmas songs. There’s a comparable supply of mediocre nontraditional Christmas songs. This post’s challenge: separate the wheat from the chaff, diamonds from drek; gems from the coal.
And here they are! 5 nontraditional Christmas songs you probably haven’t heard, but I think you will appreciate (3 serious; 2 fun):
One Quiet Moment – Glad (1998) – This one tells the Christmas story from the point of view of the soon-to-be mother and her husband -- the scandal they had faced being unwed and pregnant; the pressure of knowing the life they were protecting; the fear of the future. And then…the “quiet moment” of decision and resolve. A really nice a capella performance; three key changes seem just right to build the story.
They make gravy at Christmas in Australia apparently— even though it is 100 degrees Fahrenheit….
How to Make Gravy – Paul Kelly (2013) – This one from Australia should resonate with anyone who won’t be home for Christmas this year. When we miss a holiday we don’t just miss the people and the place; we miss the rituals of a celebration we all play some part in. In this case, the narrator is consumed with a key issue: who’s going to make the gravy when he’s not there? And there’s a surprise to discover – the reason he’s not going to make it. Simple and pure.
Christmas – Blues Traveler (1997)– This is another one I like because it jars my perspective, It’s written from the viewpoint of someone who’s watching seemingly everyone celebrate something – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa. The narrator would like to “sing Noel or Navidad” or “that a one horse open sleigh/ would come and carry me away.” But he just can’t find faith, hope or joy. He wants a miracle, but doesn’t believe in it. Who’s that person in your life?
The Mistletoe Jam – Luther Vandross (2009 ) -- OK, enough of the challenging songs; let’s end with two that are just fun. Mistletoe Jam is a classic Luther slow jam, with bounce. My favorite lyric: “Last time I got under the mistletoe with you – I had twins.” Bonus: finding a way to make anything related to toe jam such a celebration.
Louis sandwiched in two Christmas songs into his session with The Commanders; this one was unexpected gold.
‘Zat You Santa Claus? – Louis Armstrong (1949 ) – This is part of Louis Armstrong’s amazing Decca recordings. He’s at peak Satchmo with a great studio big band called The Commanders. This could have been a mail-in Christmas song for the B side of a record; instead everybody just has a blast with it – the reeds, the drums, the sound effect guy – and it becomes 2:30 of swaggering fun. Short, sweet and a reminder of how much joy music can bring.
I’m always looking for new music. Let me know the best nontraditional Christmas songs you are discovering!
-Leslie
PS: Close but no fruit cake:
Alabama’s “Santa Claus (I Still Believe in You”)”
Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis”
The Waitresses “Christmas Wrapping”
Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson “A Willie Nice Christmas”
Charles Brown “Please Come Home for Christmas”