Seasonal songs that are just a little bit different from the regular standards.

[Vibroluxer]

Any Christmas song that starts off with

"it was Christmas eve, babe.
In the drunk tank..."

Has got to be worth a listen. One of my all time favorites: Fairytale of New York



I'm sure there are others, feel free to post them.

 

[tomkatf]

 

[elihu]

Johnny and Edgar...

 

[brookdalebill]

I like Moe Bandy’s Christmas At The Jersey Lily Lounge.
I also like Willie Nelson’s Pretty Paper.

 

[johnnyASAT]

Geri Allen - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

 

[dlew919]

A Christmas song, Jethro Tull

Jack Frost and the Hoodie Crow - Jethro Tull

There's an album of Jethro Tull Christmas. Sh*ts on Mariah...

 

[Dave Hicks]

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is somewhat odd (though not in the Fairytale of NY class), but the original lyrics were a bit more twisted.



Original lyrics

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
It may be your last.
Next year we may all be living in the past.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Pop that champagne cork.
Next year we may all be living in New York.

No good times like the olden days.
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who were dear to us.
Will be near to us no more.

But at least we all will be together.
If the Lord allows.
From now on, we'll have to muddle through somehow.
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

 

[Peegoo]

Here's Richard "Bob" Greene to tell us about it.

 

[Peegoo]

 

[Bendyha]

 

[danielreid27]

 

[Vibroluxer]

Sticking with my alcohol theme, , this one starts with:

'Mom got drunk and dad got drunk,
At our Christmas party"

Or

"Chain smoking while the stereo plays the first noel"

 

[Alex_C]

King Diamond

 

[buster poser]

Caught them the night after this show in DC at the Black Cat. Also on the bill: The Blasters and some guy with a two neck lapsteel thing named Junior.

 

[elihu]

Simultaneous post Buster but no worries...same title but different songs.

 

[acoustic rob]

 

[elihu]

 

[elihu]

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

This is a standard in some places and not in others.

 

[johnnyASAT]

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is somewhat odd (though not in the Fairytale of NY class), but the original lyrics were a bit more twisted.



Original lyrics

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
It may be your last.
Next year we may all be living in the past.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Pop that champagne cork.
Next year we may all be living in New York.

No good times like the olden days.
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who were dear to us.
Will be near to us no more.

But at least we all will be together.
If the Lord allows.
From now on, we'll have to muddle through somehow.
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

This and Mel Torme’s Christmas Song really hold up imo. They both really capture a particularly American lonely melancholy that colors the season. “Have Yourself…” is a little more explicitly bitter, and when you get it for the first time it hits like a truck. The title phrase, when sung correctly, sounds like a “f**k you.”