Redlemon

I hope I'm not grinching on Father Tim's Favorite Christmas carol, hymn or song? thread, but I want to know the reverse. What Christmas song rubs you the wrong way?

My thread, so I get to set the ground rules, which are as follows:

* It is the song, not the performance. If you can't stand hearing Bruce Springsteen sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", that doesn't count.

* No novelty songs on the list. Don't bother telling me about the Chipmunks or "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer."


I have two songs in mind. First, "Christmastime is Here", from the Peanuts. First, even with happy lyrics, the melody is way too melancholy for my tastes. Also, there's something weird about the highest note being the beginning of each phrase.

Second, "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime". I have a harder time figuring out why I don't like this song, but there it is.

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rsl12

You're crazy redlemon--'Christmastime is Here' is one of the finest christmas songs that gets played. What characterizes most banal christmas songs is a jingle-like melody--something catchy and empty (melodically, not necessarily lyrically), like a commercial that you can't get out of your head, no matter how much you want to--coupled with incessant and ubiquitous play all of December (and November).

In contrast, 'christmas time is here' is sophisticated and not too sweet, but very perfect for winter. The progression isn't the typical I-IV-V-I or I-V-I. And the melody starting on the Maj7, without immediately going back to the tonic, was an original touch that hasn't been emulated since Norah Jones copied for her 'don't know why' (I'm guessing you don't like that song either).

My least enjoyed song, I think, is 'O come all ye faithful.' It's a perfectly good hymn, but it is much too serious to be overplayed in shopping malls. It's a song basically saying, 'pay attention folks, this is really important. Christ has come to us!' This is a perfect message in Church, when people are paying attention to the song. It's lousy as backgroud music, being very serious and sombre.

'It's the most wonderful time of the year' comes in second place, and it's banal for the reasons described in the 1st paragraph (catchy and empty)

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God of Thunder

See, the first thing I thought of when I read the title was "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.

It was funny once, it's had it's 15 minutes, let it die now.

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Poppinjay

I agree with rsl12 on "Christmastime is here". I like it very much, as well as the rest of the Peanuts soundtrack.

I also agree with Redlemon on "Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time". I know why I hate it.

1. It is essentially a pop song. It has been around for a long time. Yet rock stations, pop stations, and definitely soft rock stations play the ever loving ef out of it because it kinda sorta fit their format when it came out in the 70's.

2. That bouncy sustain effect that happens nearly every measure. "(boink-oink-oink) the mood is right..."

3. The words, "simply having a wonderful Christmas time." Who the ef says "simply" besides Holden Caulfield's perverted english teacher? The word simply was obviously thrown in to measure out the lyric. Given the period when Paul McCartney wrote it, he should have written, "high as hell, having a wonderful Christmas time."

My other two dislikes are "Silent Night" because it seems like everybody who sings it is in a contest to make go slower, and softer, and atonal. It's the only song written for the ugly ducklings of the chorus, the altos and 2nd tenors. And Feliz Navidad. Same reason as McCartney's song. A pop song that is re-played ad nauseum year after year.

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Charlatan

I agree about Feliz Navidad with one exception... the version that Charo does on Pee Wee's Christmas Special... Feliz Naviblah!

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Derwood

Feliz Navadad and that terrible all-star "Let Them Know It's Christmas" atrocity

good call on the McCartney song. Right up there with "Another Silly Love Song" on his alltime worst list

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BigBen

I fucking hate that Paul McArtney

Simply Haaaaving, a Wonderful Christmas time
Simply Haaaaving, a Wonderful Christmas time
Simply Haaaaving, a Wonderful Christmas time
Simply Haaaaving, a Wonderful Christmas time

Okay, Paul. Try some new lyrics.

And the Bruce Springsteen "Santa Claus is Coming" has ruined all other versions for me. Does that count?

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Redlemon

I knew I'd get flak for that, but there it is. I appreciate jazz, I appreciate interesting chord structures, I appreciate quiet, but that song just doesn't add up for me.
Hey, I'm a 2nd tenor!

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Redlemon

Actually, "Do they know it's Christmas?". Total agreement, talk about condescending. No, they don't know it's Christmas, 'cause most of them aren't Christian.

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Poppinjay

Me too.

I would have just mentioned the altos, but I didn't want to be sexist. Everybody knows a voice that can't quite reach a high E is beautiful in its own way.

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I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

Leto

dammit. I love the Silly Love Songs song...

*Humming to myself

"you'd think that people would have enough of silly love songs..
well I looked around me and I see it isn't so...

come on! admit it, the tune's stuck in your brain now!

got to find that album... maybe throw on some Mull of Kintyre as well.



As for Christmas songs: I left Zellers the other day when the muzac started to play Jingle Bell Rock. fuckin hate that. ugh.

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rhaevyn

Sleigh Ride, Let It Snow, White Christmas...

Well, I hate nearly every song that's mainly about snow. Because I don't like snow.

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Willravel

Any christmas song sung by a pop star after 1969. I'm talking to you, Destiny's Child.

snowy

Yes, that is a simply awful song.

I also really hate Elton John's Step Into Christmas. What a load of crap.

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Brewmaniac

I know this is violates your thread rules but any Christmas song sung by Elvis is just wrong!

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Grasshopper Green

I'm gonna catch it....I like the Paul McCartney song, as far as Christmas songs go. That's not saying much....

After listening to Christmas music 8 hours a day, five days a week...I hate it all. Well, until next year at least. My most hated song is "Is that you, Santa Claus?". I don't know who sings it, but when I hear it come on, I know I'm in for three minutes of hell.

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sadistikdreams

I really don't like The Beachboys Xmas song. The one in the coke commerical.

Just hearing this line sets me off:
"Christmas comes this time each year" in one of the Beach Boys deep voice.
UUUGH

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Johnny Pyro

Blasphemy!

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paddyjoe

Aww man, just when I was starting to like you..........

maleficent

I think I've loved Bruce's music longer than most of y'all have been alive... (with the expection of those 'california years where he lost his mind and married the blonde') His version of Santa claus is coming to town will always get me to smile no matter how foul a mood i'm in..

Christmas songs to annoy me:
I wonder as I wander?
Umm I wonder what kind of drugs this person is on...

Ave Maria as sung by Aretha Franklin... (I will give that woman all the respect she deserves - but NO NO NO NO and NO it's just wrong)

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Brewmaniac

Sorry, paddyjoe I grew up listening to Elvis and he's just fine most of time but just not Christmas songs, they just get on my nerves.

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Lucifer

That hideous song about Rudolph and his fucking rednose gets my dander up every time

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PastorTim

Redlemon, thanks for giving me a LOL moment!

It would be pretty sad if I or anyone else thought you were "grinching" on my thread, wouldn't it. [For the record, I responded to this BEFORE actually reading all the other responses...so nothing personal meant to anyone if you actually thought Redlemon was grinching here!]

{Whew...Just read through the thread...}

Great use of language there: grinching! Excellent.

Is there a Christmas song that rubs me the wrong way? Hmmm... I guess according to your ground rules, no.

BTW, and for the record, I'm not a "Father" in the religious sense. But I do have 4 children living in my home who call me father or dad or daddy, and they call my wife mom or mommy or mother.

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Lasereth

GOOD THREAD!!! I was thinking about starting one over my hatred of Jingle Bell Rock. I cannot STAND this song. I seriously hate it with every fabric of my being. When I hear the initial notes played on the radio, I scramble to change the station. It's seriously audible torture. It's played by 100 artists every fucking year on every fucking radio station over and over and over and over. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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guthmund

YES! I agree totally with Jingle Bell Rock.

Brian Setzer's "Dig That Crazy Christmas" has become quite the staple for my co-workers in the back offices and it seems everytime I get a chance to go back there to do some work, Setzer's belting out his rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock." It's driving me bat-shit insane, to say the least.

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DonovanDuVal

Band Aid with that bloody 'Do they know it's christmas time..?' or whatever it's called. Ok I'll give you money for the charity if the radio doesn't play this awful piece of tat. I really hate this song, everything about it is so dreadful.

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Astrocloud

"I'll be hating you for Christmas" which is a secret track on the end of an Everclear album.

The song itself is cool -which is part of the reason that I hate it -you see I was going through a breakup and the song hit a good note. It brought me to a place which I really don't need to visit again.

Anxst

Exactly. This, and Sleigh Ride, drive me nuts every year.

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CityOfAngels

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"

Why does everything have to be white? What about Kwanzaa?

Lak

I'm pretty sure I thoroughly hate every christmas song, novelty christmas song or traditional christmas carol ever conceived...

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Suave

The Twelve Days of Christmas. There is not a song that is more violence-inducing than this one!

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Redlemon

I just heard a punk rock version of "Christmastime is Here", and it didn't improve it. I stand by my unpopular opinon.

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flamingdog

Silver Bells. Let Them Know It's Christmas (and last year's version was WORSE). THAT FUCKING SLADE SONG!

If you're a limey you know what I'm on about.

vermin

Good King Wenceslas drove me nuts when I first started piano lessons as a kid. It never sounded right when I played it the way the sheet music said. Later in life I heard a recorded version of it and realized that I had been playing it correctly, it was written badly. I've hated it ever since.

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JumpinJesus

Medussa,

If it's the song I'm thinking of, then it's Buster Poindexter who sings it. I actually really like that song, so there!

But the Christmas song I hate the most would most probably be "Jingle Bell Rock." It's the Christmas equivalent to "We Built This City."

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Poppinjay

Are.... are you saying... wait. "We Built This City" is a.... bad song?

But it was so cool when I was 16! Starship! Woooo!

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I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

Charlatan

That comparison has to be the kiss of death for any song...

"We built this Christmas on Rock and Rooooooll"

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ShaniFaye

Im sorry but I absolutely cannot stand to hear Silent Night, I dont care who is signing it

oh and the 12 days of christmas....but of course Eddie Izzard made it a little more bearable cause now when I hear it all I think of is his little comedy bit on it hehehehe

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maleficent

I've had enough... 4 hours at a customer site with piped in christmas mall music...

/me takes knife and commits hari kari..

i'm over it.. .if i didnt hate christmas and everything about it before today - -it got ratcheted up several notches...

I HATE ALL CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

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StanT

I spent 15 years working in malls and stand alone stores servicing point of sale terminals. No days off between Thanksgiving and New Yearsconsisting of 12-14 hour days with miserable, nasty customers. I've been out of that business for 10 years or so and I'm still recovering. No Christmas music at all for me please.