Christmas songs not about Christmas.

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cnbcwatcher

23-12-2014

Originally Posted by mimicole:
“I used to be able to listen to that East 17 track until the other day. I've known what it was about for years but I had to turn it off. Its probably because I'm getting a little older.”

I can't listen to that song at all. I always start crying when I hear it

pearlsandplums

23-12-2014

Originally Posted by mushymanrob:
“chris de burgh...a spaceman came traveling... just been on pointless... why is this considered a crimbo song?”

Does the spaceman not come travelling on Christmas eve? Baby it's cold outside is dreadful too.

Heston Veston

23-12-2014

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher:
“Never Had A Dream Come True - S Club 7
Not about Christmas but the video has fake snow and has a winter scene.

What amazes me most is that Easy 17's Stay Another Day is played at Christmas. It's not really a festive song as such. I looked it up and it's actually about the songwriter's brother's suicide ”

I always thought the whiny little dweebs were pleading with their girlfriends not to leave them.

Originally Posted by DavetheSensible:
“I always think of Fleet Foxes' 'White Winter Hymnal' as one of the loveliest Christmas songs, but it isn't https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gml-nAJGRbY”

The lyrics are quite unsettling although I'm not sure what they're actually about!

LandslideBrad

23-12-2014

Utada Hikaru - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence FYI

biscuitfactory

23-12-2014

Originally Posted by mushymanrob:
“chris de burgh...a spaceman came traveling... just been on pointless... why is this considered a crimbo song?”

Have you not listened to the lyrics?
It's an imagining that the angel Gabriel was actually an alien and the light in the sky ( star of Bethlehem ) was his spaceship.

pearlsandplums

23-12-2014

Originally Posted by biscuitfactory:
“Have you not listened to the lyrics?
It's an imagining that the angel Gabriel was actually an alien and the light in the sky ( star of Bethlehem ) was his spaceship.”

To be honest I haven't listened to avidly as I think it's terrible, but I stand corrected.

Stay another day is an odd one as "don't day it's the final kiss" seems odd between brothers

mushymanrob

24-12-2014

its just an awful song so i didnt.

fair play.

dodrade

24-12-2014

Originally Posted by DavetheSensible:
“There's quite a few records we associate with Christmas that don't actually mention it:
Cliff Richard's 'Saviour's Day' for a start.
'Baby it's cold outside'
I always think of Fleet Foxes' 'White Winter Hymnal' as one of the loveliest Christmas songs, but it isn't https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gml-nAJGRbY
'Sleigh Ride' - The Ronettes version is probably best known
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co7ZGOjGV4A
'Jing-a-ling jing-a-ling'
Frosty the Snowman doesn't mention Christmas either

Not a new thing - some of the carols don't:
'Child in a manger', 'Ding dong merrily on high', 'It came upon the midnight clear' ..”

Frosty the Snowman does mention Christmas at the end.

There are a few other standards which don't mention it, winter wonderland, a winter's tale, even jingle bells was originally written for Thanksgiving.

GiraffeGirl

24-12-2014

Originally Posted by mushymanrob:
“no

its just an awful song so i didnt.

fair play.”

I've just read them here: http://www.metrolyrics.com/a-spacema...-de-burgh.html

The song's always given me the creeps to be honest. Not sure if it's because of the song or because of Chris de Burgh.

DavetheSensible

24-12-2014

Originally Posted by dodrade:
“Frosty the Snowman does mention Christmas at the end.”

Not in the original Gene Autry lyrics ...
http://www.metrolyrics.com/frosty-th...as-carols.html
Bublé's done it recently, and he doesn't either, so the standard seems to be not.
TBH I've never noticed a mention had been snuck in. I suspect it's a one off you've found. Can you point me in the right direction so I don't have to wade through 304 versions on the hd to find one.

Robertfitz

24-12-2014

Steps - Heartbeat

dodrade

24-12-2014

Originally Posted by DavetheSensible:
“Not in the original Gene Autry lyrics ...
http://www.metrolyrics.com/frosty-th...as-carols.html
Bublé's done it recently, and he doesn't either, so the standard seems to be not.
TBH I've never noticed a mention had been snuck in. I suspect it's a one off you've found. Can you point me in the right direction so I don't have to wade through 304 versions on the hd to find one. ”

I was going by the rendition in the rankin-bass TV animation where it goes "I'll be back on Christmas day".

BRITLAND

24-12-2014

These songs are not xmas themed at all but Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader, Believe by Cher and Never Forget by Take That I hear every xmas time on the radio, I'm assuming they out at xmas, though unsure about Toploader

Stay Another Day have xmas bells in it so I see it as a xmas song with no problems with it, despite what it's actually about

Peter the Great

24-12-2014

Originally Posted by mushymanrob:
“eh?.... ive never heard that referred to as a crimbo song.

as for 'fairytale'... ive never considered it a crimbo song, but a song that was set around crimbo and mentions it.

whats christmassy about it? even the boys of the ny pd choir were singing galway bay http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galway_Bay_%28song%29 which isnt a crimbo song, and this appears to be in spite of the bells ringing out for christmas day.

surely a christmas song is about christmas and not one that mentions it and is contemptous of it.”

Seriously? The fact it has featured on numerous Christmas compilations. And Wikipedia confirms that this song which was the only UK hit for the German band is often regarded as a Christmas song and is played alot at this time.

D_Peugeot

24-12-2014

Originally Posted by mushymanrob:
“eh?.... ive never heard that referred to as a crimbo song.

as for 'fairytale'... ive never considered it a crimbo song, but a song that was set around crimbo and mentions it.

whats christmassy about it? even the boys of the ny pd choir were singing galway bay http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galway_Bay_%28song%29 which isnt a crimbo song, and this appears to be in spite of the bells ringing out for christmas day.

surely a christmas song is about christmas and not one that mentions it and is contemptous of it.”

Just because it doesn't have the usual sleigh bells in the background doesn't negate it being a Christmas song.

Electra

24-12-2014

It's not contemptuous. They remember how they were at Christmas, all those years ago & despite their differences, he at least, realises he still loves her. Christmas is a very significant part of this couple's history together.

rfonzo

24-12-2014

Originally Posted by John_Lochery:
“Fairytale of New York - if you actually listen to it, its got absolutely nothing to do with Xmas, its just because of the ONE line in the chorus 'and the bells were ringing out for xmas day' that its called a xmas song. it does make me laugh that people think of it as happy cheery xmas song when there's a line in it where kirsty sings 'you scumbag you maggot you cheap [something something] merry xmas you arse thank god its our last' lol

East 17 - Stay another Day

Spice Girls - 2 become 1/too much/goodbye - only reason they're called supposed 'xmas song' is because they were no1 on xmas”

This was the closest to a christmas song they had as the animation in the video was christmassy as they were in central London and perhaps New York.

djfunnyman

25-12-2014

Originally Posted by BRITLAND:
“These songs are not xmas themed at all but Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader, Believe by Cher and Never Forget by Take That I hear every xmas time on the radio, I'm assuming they out at xmas, though unsure about Toploader

Stay Another Day have xmas bells in it so I see it as a xmas song with no problems with it, despite what it's actually about ”

Originally Posted by mushymanrob:
“chris de burgh...a spaceman came traveling... just been on pointless... why is this considered a crimbo song?”

I don't believe any of these songs were released at Christmas

Yes, I don't believe there was a spaceman at the birth of baby Jesus

grimtales1

25-12-2014

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher:
“Never Had A Dream Come True - S Club 7
Not about Christmas but the video has fake snow and has a winter scene.

What amazes me most is that Easy 17's Stay Another Day is played at Christmas. It's not really a festive song as such. I looked it up and it's actually about the songwriter's brother's suicide ”

I never knew that

I always thought it was a love song to their girlfriends or something

When a Child Is Born alludes to the baby jesus, I guess but it doesnt mention Christmas anywhere.

cnbcwatcher

25-12-2014

Originally Posted by grimtales1:
“I never knew that I always thought it was a love song to their girlfriends or something
When a Child Is Born alludes to the baby jesus, I guess but it doesnt mention Christmas anywhere.”

I saw it on the ever reliable Wikipedia:

Quote:
“"Stay Another Day" was the third single from East 17's second album Steam, following up "Around The World" and the album's title track. It was their first ballad, written by the band's lead songwriter Tony Mortimer and said to be about his brother Ollie,[1] who committed suicide. Mortimer was aided in the composition by his co-manager Rob Kean and songwriter Dominic Hawken, who had once been Boy George's keyboard player.[2] Christmas bells were included towards the end of the song to appeal to the lucrative Christmas singles market. The most familiar arrangement is unusual among pop records in that it features almost no drums, apart from some timpani during the introduction to and towards the end of the track.”

dodrade

26-12-2014

Who calls their brother "baby" though? I don't doubt it was originally written about Tony Mortimer's brother but it was marketed as a love song at the time.

floog

26-12-2014

Originally Posted by Hitstastic:
“Probably We All Stand Together by Paul McCartney. Not sure if it was intended as a Christmas song but it was a big hit this time 30 years ago.

Pipes Of Peace is another one come to think of it. Again, not sure if it was intended to be a Christmas song.”

I agree about We All Stand Together, It is truly one of Paul McCartney's best songs but people can't look past the fact it has him making stupid frog and cat noises. It is also one of the only Christmas songs from my childhood that hasn't lost it's Christmas magic through being played incessantly at Christmas every year, because it isn't, in fact I can't remember ever hearing it on the radio since then.

I don't really consider Pipes of Peace to be a Christmas song. Instead it always makes me think of being snowed in in my house aged seven, with no electricity, living off tuna sandwiches and only a battery-powered transistor radio for entertainment for the best part of a week in January 1984.

grimtales1

26-12-2014

Originally Posted by dodrade:
“Who calls their brother "baby" though? I don't doubt it was originally written about Tony Mortimer's brother but it was marketed as a love song at the time.”

Yeah, you're right.. who calls their brother "baby" and with lines like "I touch your face while you were sleeping", or "Don't you say it's the final kiss"

grimtales1

26-12-2014

Originally Posted by floog:
“I agree about We All Stand Together, It is truly one of Paul McCartney's best songs but people can't look past the fact it has him making stupid frog and cat noises. It is also one of the only Christmas songs from my childhood that hasn't lost it's Christmas magic through being played incessantly at Christmas every year, because it isn't, in fact I can't remember ever hearing it on the radio since then.

I don't really consider Pipes of Peace to be a Christmas song. Instead it always makes me think of being snowed in in my house aged seven, with no electricity, living off tuna sandwiches and only a battery-powered transistor radio for entertainment for the best part of a week in January 1984.”

I like We All Stand Together, very nice song and part of my childhood. Look past the fact in its in a cartoon and the silly noises, and I think it should get more respect

The 'humming' version is so warm and nostalgic

Brummy Girl

26-12-2014

When have Dancing In The Moonlight, Believe & Never Forget ever been classed as Christmas songs? I've heard these songs played all year round

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