a partial playlist for a covid christmas 2020
mlmm’s music challenge friday’s pick for December 25 is: “last christmas,” and I commented on how that song is a real earworm (no matter which rendition). The response was: “Why don’t you contribute some of your favorite Christmas music?”
Seems to me this year needs a special sort of playlist; one which transcends the sadness and madness of 2020. So, a collection of childhood songs plus a more recent one or two. (curiously, 1964 to 1966 saw the release of three of the most “classic” christmas specials for television).
“we need a little christmas” (music/lyrics: Jerry Herman, broadway musical Mame, 1966)
Mame loses all her money when the stock market crashes in 1929. As she is totally unprepared for working, she is fired from a series of jobs. She comes home from yet another fiasco, and thinking the members of her household deserve a little cheering up, sings:
. . . For we need
A little Christmas
Right
This very minute
Candles
In the window
Carols
At the spinet . . .
For I’ve grown
A little leaner
Grown
A little colder
Grown
A little sadder
Grown
A little older . . .
For we need
A little music
Need
A little laughter
Need
A little singing
Ringing through
The rafter
And we need
A little snappy
“Happy ever after”
Need a little
Christmas now
from the grinch who stole christmas (1966 animation with Boris Karloff; music by Albert Hague/lyrics by Dr. Seuss): welcome christmas
Despite the Grinch’s attempts to steal Christmas from the “Whos down in Whoville” by removing all the toys, decorations and “food for the Whofeast,” the Whos still gather together Christmas morning to sing:
Fahoo fores, dahoo dores
Welcome Christmas, come this way
Fahoo fores, dahoo dores
Welcome Christmas, Christmas day
Welcome, welcome fahoo ramus
Welcome, welcome dahoo damus
Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp
Fahoo fores, dahoo dores
Welcome Christmas, bring your cheer
Fahoo fores, dahoo dores
Welcome all who’s far and near
Welcome Christmas, fahoo ramus
Welcome Christmas, dahoo damus
Christmas day will always be
Just so long as we have we
Fahoo fores, dahoo dores
Welcome Christmas, bring your light
Welcome Christmas, fahoo ramus
Welcome Christmas, dahoo damus
Welcome Christmas, while we stand
Heart to heart and hand in hand
Fahoo fores, dahoo dores
Welcome, welcome Christmas, Christmas day
“have a holly, jolly christmas” (sung by Burl Ives in Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer; music/lyrics: johnny marks)
Burl Ives, as the Sam the snowman in Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer; (a stop motion animated special by Rankin-Bass, 1964), peaking in the window of santa’s workshop sings:
Have a holly jolly Christmas
It’s the best time of the year
Well, I don’t know if there’ll be snow
But have a cup of cheer
Have a holly jolly Christmas
And when you walk down the street
Say hello to friends you know
And everyone you meet
Ho ho, the mistletoe
Hung where you can see
Somebody waits for you
Kiss her once for me
Have a holly jolly Christmas
And in case you didn’t hear
Oh, by golly have a holly jolly Christmas
This year
“christmas time is here” (from the 1965 animated special: a Charlie brown christmas; music/lyrics by: Vince Guaraldi, Lee Mendelson)
Charlie brown struggles with the meaning of christmas while his friends put on a christmas concert/play
Once Apple TV got the rights to the Charlie Brown seasonal specials, it planned on only providing it to streaming customers. Public outcry forced Apple to let PBS show each once. Therefore, here are two versions of the vocal “christmas time is here,” and one of the dancing – AppleTV be damned.
Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year
Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share
Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there
Christmas time is here
We’ll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year…
“it feels like christmas” from a Muppet Christmas Carol: it feels like christmas (Paul Williams)
The ghost of christmas present shows Scrooge how Christmas is “kept”
It’s in the singing of a street corner choir
It’s going home and getting warm by the fire
It’s true, wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
A cup of kindness that we share with another
A sweet reunion with a friend or a brother
In all the places you find love
It feels like Christmas
It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the spirit
The message, if we hear it
Is make it last all year
It’s in the giving of a gift to another
A pair of mittens that were made by your mother
It’s all the ways that we show love
That feel like Christmas
A part of childhood we’ll always remember
It is the summer of the soul in December
Yes, when you do your best for love
It feels like Christmas
It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the spirit
The message, if we hear it
Is make it last all year
happy xmas (war is over) (john lennon/yoko ono)
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let’s stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear
War is over over
If you want it
War is over
whatever holiday you honour (or don’t) this time of the year, wishing you health, happiness and hope
December 26, 2020 at 12:55 pm
great musical clips!
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December 26, 2020 at 1:03 pm
Thanks. I’ve been singing, in my head, these songs to keep balanced and grounded this christmas. And, how can you go wrong with the muppets, charlie brown and john.
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December 26, 2020 at 1:13 pm
Wonderful, and as we have no TV, it’s nice to tune in to something better than soaps and repeated re-runs.
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December 26, 2020 at 10:43 am
Lorraine this is a great share of some awesome Christmas music. I don’t think that I ever watched the Charley Brown Christmas dance before and I love Pigpen on bass. Thanks for joining in with all of these special Christmas songs.
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December 26, 2020 at 11:04 am
Isn’t the dance great! It makes me want to bop around the kitchen. In fact, I think I will.
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