}

Friday, December 24, 2010

My favourite Christmas songs

There’s no way to categorically list my favourite Christmas songs—that list is constantly changing. Some songs aren’t on YouTube, which isn’t surprising, really. For example,  Harry Belafonte’s “Mary’s Boy Child” was released before I was born. Fortunately for me, there are some videos on YouTube that I want to share.

Firstly, “Happy Xmas (Was Is Over)” by John and Yoko Lennon. The thing about this song is the theme “War is over if you want it”. In my youth I used to think, what if everyone in the world all at once decided “no more war” and deposed all the politicians who do want war. How might the world be different if it chose peace and not war? I’m tempted to say, “you may say that I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one”, but the truth is that I’ve grown cynical that we even have the power to tell politicians what to do, even if we suddenly discovered morality and ended war. And, yet: War is over, if you want it.



Next up, something far grittier and real and, for some, the best Christmas song ever. Well, for me it’s a good song, and often on my Christmas Top Ten, but best ever? Mmmmm, not sure about that…



And finally, The Carpenters “Merry Christmas, Darling”. For many years, this song was on my AM radio shortly before I got up to open my presents on Christmas morning, and this was way before it was ever available for purchase. Because of that memory and more, it still gets me, and will always be among my top Christmas songs.

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