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Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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TODAY
Friday, April 26
Fuel
Crumpet / December 21, 2005 11:06 AM
I gotta be honest: it's Michael Franks' (!) recording of "I Bought You A Plastic Star For Your Aluminum Tree."
Andrew / December 21, 2005 11:11 AM
Thanks to John D. for the question, by the way.
My favorite traditional Christmas carol is "Silent Night." Non-traditional is "Santa Baby."
MikeH / December 21, 2005 11:12 AM
Without a doubt...
Baby It's Cold Outside
...and preferably the Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Jordan version, although Dino, Louis Armstrong and Ray Charles have each recorded respectable versions as well...
leah / December 21, 2005 11:13 AM
I like
"I want a hippopotamus for christmas"
and that song with this in chorus
"and this song of mine,
in three quarter time."
And the song I like, but feel uneasy about liking is "Baby it's cold outside." Let's be honest, it could be the script of a date rape sketch during freshman orientation.
jennifer / December 21, 2005 11:20 AM
The whole Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack.
shermann / December 21, 2005 11:28 AM
Little Drummer Boy - David Bowie and Bing Crosby
pa rumpa pa pum....Peace on Earth...Can it be...
CVAL / December 21, 2005 11:28 AM
CVAL / December 21, 2005 11:29 AM
Gotta love "Jingle Bells" by Ella Fitzgerald
tim / December 21, 2005 11:31 AM
"Holly Jolly Christmas"
Lennie Briscoe / December 21, 2005 11:33 AM
I would have to go with "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues. Totally accurate portrayal of some of the bums I lock up on the regular.
anne / December 21, 2005 11:36 AM
I heard my favorite Christmas song: Pearl Bailey's "Five Pound Box of Money" on the radio last night and got all giddy, until I learned that it's been put on a CD titled "Hipster's Holiday". bah humbug.
My favorite winter songs that I hum all season long are: "Let it Snow" and "Walking in a Winter Wonderland".
Steve / December 21, 2005 11:41 AM
Oh, there are so many country Christmas faves, who can pick just one? Special props to the demented yelps that punctuate Johnny Cash's "Figgy Pudding," better known as "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."
If I can go all Pitchfork, let's say "A Change at Christmas (Say It Ain't So)" by Flaming Lips. And I mean it -- it's a beautiful track.
Tradition-wise, I'm a sucker for "Do You Hear What I Hear" and "The Little Drummer Boy."
John D / December 21, 2005 11:52 AM
Merry Christmas All - Salsoul Orchestra
Wendy / December 21, 2005 11:53 AM
That "Hipster's Holiday" album has been around for at least 15 years, back when the term referred to classic hipsters. It's probably the reason that Pearl Bailey song has gotten recent airplay to begin with, so don't be humbugging the hipsters!
As for my favorite song, it's Marlene Dietrich's slurring, Teutonic rendition of the Little Drummer Boy. Totally awesome.
slb / December 21, 2005 12:00 PM
As a notorious grinch, i tend to dislike the xmas music. especially when it's *everywhere* and you *can't* get away from it. yuck.
however, I will confess to a soft spot for "what child is this," for some reason.
robin.. / December 21, 2005 12:06 PM
for pop songs, I'll have to go with the Kinks:
"Father Christmas, give us some money!
Don't mess around with those silly toys.
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over;
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed;
Give all the toys to the little rich boys!"
or with James Brown's "Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto." Better still is "Chrismas Wrapping" from the Waitresses. The horn section in that is really grand.
For traditional carols, I really like all the old ones with references to plants and serfs and stuff: "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" and "The Holly and the Ivy" and all... for contemporary carols, nothing beats Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Tearjerker.
Sky / December 21, 2005 12:10 PM
Hands down, Baby It's Cold Outside.
Seriously, it's damn f'ing good.
hench / December 21, 2005 12:21 PM
didjits: 'under the christmas fish'
new bomb turks: 'christmas (baby, please come home)'
and i totally heart 'christmas time is here' from the charlie brown special -- beautiful out of tune melancholia.
Roni / December 21, 2005 12:45 PM
Oh Hanukkah! & Up on the rooftop
Most likely because in grade school choir we'd have this whole series of hand gestures to go along with the songs. Ah, the days of showcasing my terrible voice at Woodfield Mall.
hench / December 21, 2005 1:03 PM
oh hell -- totally forgot run dmc's 'christmas in hollis'
duh & double duh.
jen / December 21, 2005 1:03 PM
i'd have to say "christmas wrapping" by the waitresses.
Steph / December 21, 2005 1:04 PM
What Christmas Means to Me by Stevie Wonder always gets me excited about x-mas. Also, Cocteau Twins version of Winter Wonderland.
K. / December 21, 2005 1:10 PM
"This Christmas "-- but only the original Donny Hathaway version. All the other versions suck.
spiraljetty / December 21, 2005 1:40 PM
I don't need any ladies sexing up my holidays with the crooning and talk of Santa entering their chimneys. I like the brilliantly unbrilliant pop melodies of Wham's Last Christmas. I don't care if they play it on LightFM, it's still good.
Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special (special)
Baltimore / December 21, 2005 1:41 PM
"Gimme the Loot" From the Biggie Smalls Ready to Die Alblum
matty / December 21, 2005 1:52 PM
"The Snowman" soundtrack. Particularly "we're walking through the air" song as played by the London Symphony Orchestra
Johnny D / December 21, 2005 2:11 PM
Emerson Dameron / December 21, 2005 2:34 PM
The Joseph Spence version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," a song I normally hate.
dan / December 21, 2005 2:43 PM
This is easy >> The Pogues' "Fairy Tale of New York"
joyous and heart-breaking at the same time
Kevin / December 21, 2005 3:29 PM
So, either my link doesn't work, or else I'm a total chooch. Anyway, just google it and be amused.
Andrew / December 21, 2005 4:04 PM
Fixed the link, Kevin.
Miranda / December 21, 2005 4:33 PM
"I Sing Noel" - a song about depressed and deprived children sung by the alcoholic and abusive Bing Crosby.
Also - "Maybe this Christmas" - Ron Sexsmith
kate / December 21, 2005 5:17 PM
Karkis "Secret Satan"
appopt / December 21, 2005 6:36 PM
Mayor Daley recently sang this song:
Richard, the friendly mayor,
had a very scandalous year.
If you were his opponent
you would even stand and cheer.
All his incompetent cronies
used to pay and get a job.
You’d even think slick Richard
had connections to the mob.
Then one splendid summer day
Prosecutors came to say:
“Richard, with your machine so tight,
don’t you know corruption’s not right?”
Then all his cronies lost jobs,
and they shouted with anxiety,
“Richard, we’re all from Bridgeport,
now we’re going to da penitentiary!”
Maggie / December 21, 2005 8:22 PM
Traditional - O Holy Night, offbeat, Dominic the DOnkey (Kevin, I can't believe you beat me to it!!) and of course, Do They Know It's Christmas?
brit. / December 21, 2005 8:57 PM
"All I Want for Christmas is You"
"That's What Christmas Means to Me"
"Sleigh Ride"
"The Christmas Song"
Alice / December 21, 2005 9:14 PM
Leah, the song you're thinking of is called "The Christmas Waltz." It's one of my favorites. too.
But I also love:
"Christmas in Killarney" (Dennis Day version)
"Keep Christmas With You (All Through the Year)" from "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street"
"We Need a Little Christmas"
And, last but not least, "The Merry Christmas Polka."
b / December 21, 2005 9:39 PM
Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song. I STILL want a hula hoop!
Leah W / December 21, 2005 10:53 PM
Traditional: Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas (hey, it's as traditional as my heathen family gets)
Recent-Waitresses: Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping"
Drunken Sing-a-long: Pogues' "Fairytale of New York"
Stupid: The BC Clarke's Anniversary Sale Song (a jingle played so incessantly in Oklahoma during December that I thought it was actually a carol).
gladhands / December 21, 2005 11:05 PM
"Last Christmas" by Wham. I got jilted by a hardcore crush a few years ago right before Thanksgiving, and by the time Christmas rolled around, I was in the sadass, pining mode. This song gave me hope. Yes, Wham gave me hope.
nicoschelseagirl / December 21, 2005 11:32 PM
"what child is this" / "greensleeves" -- hands down.
amyc / December 22, 2005 6:15 AM
All Christmas music sucks. There's a reason people don't listen to it year-round.
(Except "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" and "Linus and Lucy" -- those are the only ones worth a damn.)
ERICA / December 22, 2005 9:11 AM
Must-haves for any Christmas Mix:
White Christmas, Corporal Blossom
Oi to the World, Vandals
Christmas Celebration, Weezer
Run Run Rudolph, Chuck Berry
Winter Wonderland, Lavay Smith and the Red Hot Skillet Lickers
Christmas in Las Vegas, Los Straightjackets
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee
Jingle Bell Rock, Bill Haley/Comets
Mele Kalikimaka
Staci / December 22, 2005 9:33 AM
I can't get enough of Christmas music and I love that it's played everywhere this time of year. I don't get sick of it and I really love all of the previously mentioned songs. Do You Hear What I Hear and Handels Messiah always give me chills. Also, I just got the Regis Philbin Christmas cd from my Secret Santa at work, and I really love his rendition of Marshmallow World.
Brian / December 22, 2005 9:40 AM
"Christmas Time Is Here" by the Christmas Jug Band
(featuring Dan Hicks and bunch of other bay area losers)
amanda / December 22, 2005 10:49 AM
Like: Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey and Baby it's Cold Outside (Ella Fitz. version)
Don't like: have yourself a merry little christmas by James Taylor--supremely depressing. also, the even more depressing "Christmas time is here"--from peanuts/vince guaraldi (though i like the other peanuts/v.guaraldi stuff). And, So this is christmas (war is over) and Do they know it's Christmas?--both way overplayed.
Leelah / December 22, 2005 11:34 AM
"Do They Know It's Christmas?/Feed the World"
Whatever that song is called...I love it. I like the Pogues' "FairyTale of New York" too.
Kate / December 22, 2005 12:05 PM
Dominic the Donkey.
waleeta / December 22, 2005 1:43 PM
Can't stand the Christmas music - I always enjoy Adam Sandler's "Hannukkah Song" because I always enjoy learning who is Jewish that I never knew about before....
J / December 22, 2005 1:44 PM
I never liked X-mas music until my boyfriend bought for me the Bright Eyes Christmas Album a few years ago. It has some much needed modern interpretations of classic favorites. I especially enjoy the upbeat "God rest ye Merry Gentleman."
dan / December 22, 2005 2:26 PM
As far as traditional songs go, I really like Sufjan Stevens' cover of "The Friendly Beasts"
AZ / December 22, 2005 2:29 PM
Saint Etienne's "I Was Born on Christmas Day" is a good one, although arguably not a holiday song. On the classic rock tip, Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is also fun.
Leelah / December 22, 2005 3:40 PM
If you like Christmas music, go to Club Foot tonight where they'll be spinning non-traditional holiday fare....
Rick / December 22, 2005 5:16 PM
"Wonderful Christmastime" - Paul McCartney
The bouncy echoey synth makes the song kinda spooky -- and good.
michelle / December 22, 2005 8:29 PM
"last christmas" by wham, and "happy christmas (the war is over) by john lennon.
on the traditional tip, it would have to be "have yourself a merry little christmas"
Susan / December 23, 2005 8:59 AM
Nontraditional: lately, it's been "Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland" by Grandaddy.
Traditional: I used to carol vaguely professionally, and a lot of the carols I like are the old Latin ones (Gaudete, Personent hodie) that are "traditional" as of, like, 1582.
Least favorite carol in the whole wide world: "Silent Night".
it's a secret / December 23, 2005 11:42 AM
the kinks - father christmas
pogues - fairytale of new york city
ramones - merry christmas (i don't want to fight tonight)
Brandy / December 25, 2005 3:15 PM
Marshmallow World.
Lollypop / April 27, 2009 1:44 PM
I love 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland', Let it Snow and Up on the rooftop!
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jima / December 21, 2005 10:56 AM
Oh, let's say "Elf Song" by Escape Mechanism, which is from the Droplift Project CD and is available for download at the Droplift site.