Christmas Songs

Christmas music in our house starts playing Thanksgiving night as we start dragging out the Christmas decorations. Kicking off the Christmas music season each year in our house is The Carpenters' "A Christmas Portrait" starting out with "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." Thanks to ITunes, this year I was able to put an old family favorite, "The Gift Goes On" by Sandi Patty onto my IPOD and "Come Let Us Worship the King" and "Bethlehem Morning" conjoured up nostalgic feelings in me from Christmases of my childhood. It seems like every place I go now, Christmas music is playing in the background - malls, Wal-Mart, restaurants, etc. And since I have no control over the music playing out in public, I must take the good with the bad...and I have just as long of list of "annoying" Christmas songs in my book as I do of ones that are near and dear to my heart. So I decided to compile my top seven list of not so favorite songs on this post. They are as follows:

1. Santa Baby. This song is my all time least favorite Christmastime song. It doesn't matter who is singing it (Madonna was the one sticking in my head but my sister-in-law says that Kylie Minogue is most known for singing it) this song gets on my nerves. The words, the way it was sung, my skin crawls as I have to endure this song.

2. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Bruce Springsteen style. I like the song, at least when the preschoolers are singing it at work. Bruce Springsteen's raspy voice is more than I can handle on this seasonal favorite.

3. Feliz Navidad. Are we going to sing in Spanish or English?

4. Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time. I can't put my finger on why this song bothers me - maybe the lack of melody?

5. Deck the Halls by Manheim Steamroller. Yes, it's only instrumental. But I hate the part of the song when it should be "fa la la la la la la la la" - the last 2 la's don't sound right to me. Like they went down an extra step or something.

6. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. I mean who comes up with this stuff?

7. Little St. Nick by the Beach Boys. Can't explain it, I just don't like it. When I'm singing along I want to morph the song into Little Deuce Coupe.

But to end this post on a positive note, I am going to list my top 5 all time favorite Christmas songs.

1. Bethlehem Morning by Sandi Patty. I love this song. I don't care who is in the car, I am going to belt out all the lyrics AND try to hit the high notes, my voice cracking with emotion as I go. It's pretty ugly.

2. O Holy Night - sung by many but I do like Sandi Patty on this one, too.

3. Carol of the Bells - with the lyrics. Too often this song is played instrumental only and that disappoints me. I do like the Garmin commercials where they insert their own lyrics to the tune.

4. Mary Did You Know - I have the Mark Lowry version, but I think I like Clay Aiken better on this one.

5. The Nutracker Soundtrack - especially the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies. AND I get to see this performed next Saturday by the Butler Ballet Company! Anna is anxious to see boy "ballerinas."