Well, Clark has been letting his feelings known about Christmas things, and I wanted to get something off my chest too. Lots of songs may - or may not - qualify as Christmas songs, and they all get played at Christmas time. Sure, "My Favorite Things" doesn't have anything to do with Christmas at all, but that doesn't prevent Delilah from foisting it on us all the time. But that's not what I want to talk about. My main complaint here is about an actual Christmas song: "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Let me show you a sample of the lyrics here:
Now, most of that is just a fun, trite song. But let us revisit the refrain:
Parties? Check. Marshmallows? Uh, check. Caroling? Check. Scary ghost stories? Ch . . . what?
Hold on a minute here! Who on earth tells scary ghost stories as part of celebrating Christmas? That's Halloween stuff! I know that the Christmas decor arrives in stores earlier than the Halloween stuff these days, but let's not get the two mixed together. Anarchy! Won't anyone think of the children?
Sure, some may argue that A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a ghost story. And sure, if you happen to be Scrooge McDuck, then it's a scary story. But it's not actually a scary ghost story. It's a story with ghosts. It's not the same thing. So what were Eddie Pola and George Wyle thinking?! Did they just need a rhyme there? Couldn't come up with anything else that rhymes with "glories?" What gives?
If someone can explain this whole thing to me, that's great. In the mean time, I'm boycotting "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you
"Be of good cheer"
It's The Most
Wonderful Time Of The Year
It's the hap -happiest season of all
With
those holiday greetings
and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap - happiest season of all
There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And
tales of the glories
of Christmases long, long ago
It's The Most
Wonderful Time Of The Year
There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be
glowing
When love ones are near
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The
Year
There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And
tales of the glories
of Christmases long, long ago
It's The Most
Wonderful Time Of The Year
There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be
glowing
When love ones are near
It's The Most Wonderful Time
It's
The Most Wonderful Time
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
By:
Eddie Pola and George Wyle
Now, most of that is just a fun, trite song. But let us revisit the refrain:
There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And
tales of the glories
of Christmases long, long ago
Parties? Check. Marshmallows? Uh, check. Caroling? Check. Scary ghost stories? Ch . . . what?
Hold on a minute here! Who on earth tells scary ghost stories as part of celebrating Christmas? That's Halloween stuff! I know that the Christmas decor arrives in stores earlier than the Halloween stuff these days, but let's not get the two mixed together. Anarchy! Won't anyone think of the children?
Sure, some may argue that A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a ghost story. And sure, if you happen to be Scrooge McDuck, then it's a scary story. But it's not actually a scary ghost story. It's a story with ghosts. It's not the same thing. So what were Eddie Pola and George Wyle thinking?! Did they just need a rhyme there? Couldn't come up with anything else that rhymes with "glories?" What gives?
If someone can explain this whole thing to me, that's great. In the mean time, I'm boycotting "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."
I have never understood this either. But I do love that song. However, I think the real reason that I love the song is the fact that OfficeMax uses it for their Back to School commercials. Choice.
ReplyDeleteShannon is always on the look out for Christmas traditions that we can pick up, and I move that we start using these immediately. Everyone keep your schedule clear for the First Annual Blockburger Christmas-time Marshmallow Roast and Scary Ghost Story Contest!
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy the Office Max commercials that use this song. They're so funny, particularly with the dad riding on the shopping cart, and the kids trudging along behind . . .
ReplyDeleteBut as far as Christmas goes, no. Just no.
It's a British tradition to tell ghost stories at Christmastime.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the BBC does a Ghost Stories thing in December every year.
I think it goes back to the holiday's pagan roots, which are very similar to Halloween's pagan roots.
I'm with you, Suzanne. Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Let It Snow, and Baby, It's Cold Outside are WINTER songs, not CHRISTMAS songs. There are more, but those 4 are all I can think of at the moment. Enough procrastinating...Dec. 20th is about time to think about writing out my Christmas cards.
ReplyDelete