NationStates Jolt Archive

I was recently interviewed by NPR after submitting an essay on Christmas songs I love and loathe. I'm not one to toot my own horn, but if you want to hear the story, here's the link. I'm the interviewee from Bismarck, ND (Nathan Lansing).

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6668863

Finally, Paul McCartney gets what he deserves. And who knew people were so divided on "The Little Drummer Boy"?

I hate "You'd Better Watch Out." That song gives me the creeps and reminds me of the Patriot Act.

I like Greensleaves and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

I hate "You'd Better Watch Out." That song gives me the creeps and reminds me of the Patriot Act.

I think you have more problems than just an aversion to Christmas songs.

at least they used a quote where you sound intelligent, last time I was interviewed by the AP they used the only quote in which I sounded......less than intelligent. :( stupid reporter.

I love Carol of the Bells, and most parody Christmas, I do not care for anything by Raffi.......but that spills over into regular non-Christmas time too.

http://thatvideosite.com/video/1368

Down with Christmas Carols!In general.They annoy me. "You better watch out" annoys me as well-watch out for what?Is Santa behind you with a carving knife,waiting for the perfect moment to pounce and eat your heart?




Yes,I've seen the advert for a film with an evil looking Santa on the front of it.

The Pogues - The Fairytale of New York (http://www.poetv.com/video.php?vid=9007)

it not being mentioned in the article shows that ... they suck ;)

Good: Transiberian Orchestra, Frosty the Snowman

Bad: Jingle Bell Rock, I Caught Mommy Kissing Santa

Worst: Grandma Got Runover By A Reindeer

There are a few I like - and usually only certain versions of them. O Come All Ye Faithful I like despite not really being strongly religious...yes, I am becoming a Catholic, but not an uber-strong one.

There's one I absolutely can't listen to...I think it's called "When Mama Meets Jesus." It's far, far too sad, and two years ago my wife lost her stepdad four days before Christmas and we buried him on Christmas Eve. He was a good friend of mine, and he was lost at the worst possible time, not that there's ever a good time to lose someone...

My most reviled Christmas carol of all time is "Winter Wonderland." It makes my skin crawl.

there are very few that don't suck.

Good: "Carol of the Bells", "Jingle Bells", that one that goes 'Gloria, in excelsis deo'
Bad: "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer", "The Christmas Song", "Jingle Bell Rock"

Love: Joy to the World; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Adeste Fideles/O Come All Ye Faithful; Silent Night
Hate: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer--it's just too stupid

Honorable mention: "Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey," but I haven't heard that one in a long time.

Love: Joy to the World; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Adeste Fideles/O Come All Ye Faithful; Silent Night
Hate: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer--it's just too stupid

Honorable mention: "Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey," but I haven't heard that one in a long time.

You should have been standing in the checkout line at the downtown Denver Virgin Megastore on Saturday! I'd never heard that one before, I couldn't decide if it was funny or appalling.

I like O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, and, uhm ... Jingle Bells is fun, and Silent Night, too. Pretty music.

my new carol favorite is "mary did you know". i love the "when you kissed your little baby, you kissed the face of god" line.

im also partial to "up on the rooftop" because when my son was little i would make up a verse with him and the present he had asked for from santa in it.

i hate hearing the same songs over and over again until they drill a hole into my brain. after a while i hate every single one of them.

You should have been standing in the checkout line at the downtown Denver Virgin Megastore on Saturday! I'd never heard that one before, I couldn't decide if it was funny or appalling.

It's supposed to be funny. Apparently it's played a lot in upstate New York, according to my relatives who live there.

i want a hypo for christmas. her voice annoys the shit out of me.

Songs I love: Veni Veni, Carol of the Bells, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Angels we have heard on high, Silent Night, We Three Kings, Joy to the World.

Songs I hate: Anyone that did not get mentioned in the above list.

I like Mike Oldfield's In Dulce Jubilo.

More traditional - I Saw Three Ships. That's about it.

As for Christmas songs, my favourite is probably Oi To The World, by the Vandals, Oceansize's version of Walking In The Air, and Low's Christmas EP is pretty cool.

i want a hypo for christmas. her voice annoys the shit out of me.

:p "I want a hypo for Christmas"

what's that? a heroine addict's version of "All I want for Christmas"?

Best Xmas song? Easy:

Fairytale of New York (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWv6CQUOu9I&mode=related&search=)

Catchy, ain't it? (http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/121706/bells-on-bobtails-ring.gif)

Oi! to the world

The christmas album of the 8bit people is cool! About everything else sucks (the exceptions being Stern über Bethlehem, in Dulce Jubilo and some CCed songs).

Silent Night is tolerable. Though I haven't heard any apart from the more famou/popular carols.

I despise anything by Cliff Richard. Other than that, I'm fine.

Any of the songs with religious messages in them.

...

Which basically rules out all of them, huh? :D

Songs I love: Veni Veni, Carol of the Bells, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Angels we have heard on high, Silent Night, We Three Kings, Joy to the World.

Songs I hate: Anyone that did not get mentioned in the above list.

That pretty much goes for me as well, though I don't much care for "Joy to the World"

There are just a few more I would add to my like list...

Hark the Herald Angels Sing
What Child is This
Oh Holy Night
The Holly and the Ivy
I Saw Three Ships
Once in Royal David's City
White Christmas

The bolded title made me notice something...I tend to HATE secular Christmas music, with a passion.

The religious stuff, however...some of it is simply glorious (Biebl's Ave Maria, for instance). Probably the only thing I give Christianity unabashed respect for is the music.

I love a lot of the old Christmas carols. But I'm afraid that there are far more that annoy me than I like. It's not a religious thing, I just find that the religious ones tend to be a lot nicer, softer and less abrasive.

I can't stand "I Wish it could be Christmas Every Day", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Santa Baby" (eww), "Frosty the Snowman", "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", and the newst version of "Do they know it's Chrstmas?"; in fact I despise most of the annoying pop ones.

I also cannot stand "Fairytale of New York", firstly because it's over-played in this country, secondly the 'gorgeous' Shane MacGowan has an awful voice; he constantly goes off key, and thridly because the last portion of the song involves the two singers shouting insults at each other, which I don't think is very Christmassy at all.

Oh, and "Away in a Manger" often annopys me, because it's often sung by little, annoying, shouting kids that sing off tune.

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. Ugh.