Songs that aren't Christmas songs, but which still sound Christmassy

Cafe Society
1

Coldplay’s Viva La Vida seems to still get endless airplay on radio stations around here. Every time I hear the song, the fist thing I think is “Why are they playing Christmas music in July? Oh, damn Viva La Vida again. Never mind.” Even some the lyrics register as Christmassy with me - “Roman Catholic choirs are singing” (misheard, I know),“I hear Jerusalem bells a’ringing”, and many other religious references.

What songs sound Christmassy to your ears, even though they aren’t really Christmas songs?

2

Vince Guaraldi’s Linus & Lucy (Charlie Brown theme). I don’t think it was written originally/specifically for the TV C.B. Christmas special but that’s what a lot of people associate it with and it gets radio airplay during the holiday season.

3

“Linus & Lucy” doesn’t Xmathize me, but the one after it does. It doesn’t sound particularly Xmassy and there are no words, but since I know its name is “Christmastime is here” (or something like that) I cannot listen to it, except in the one week preceding xmas.

4

Lots of Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg stuff, like “You’re Out of the Woods” and “When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich.”

“When You Wish Upon a Star”

5

Pachabel’s Canon
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Ave Maria
Most of Handel’s Messiah, especially the Hallelujah Chorus

6

“Thank You” by Alanis Morrisette…at least the opening piano riff sounds pretty Christmasy.

7

Jingle Bells, Let it Snow, Frosty the Snowman, and Winter Wonderland are three that are winter songs but don’t mention Christmas.

8

Hmm…interesting. Sleigh Ride is another one. I have a hard time not classifying these as Christmas songs even though they don’t mention Christmas :confused:

9

How about We Need a Little Christmas from Mame? As I remember, they sing the song in the middle of the summer.

10

“My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music. Which is not a Christmas song, but popular culture has apparently overwhelmed my brain so I can’t help thinking it should be Christmas when I hear it.

11

Always Something There to Remind Me by Naked Eyes. The bells throughout the song sound very Christmasy. In fact when I’m listening to the radio and hear the opening, especially during this time year, I always think it’s going to be another holiday song.

12

“Count Your Blessings” from, well, White Christmas.

13

Hungry Heart by Springsteen sounds Christmassy to me.

14

They always play “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, my favorite date rape song, with the Christmas music.

15

That was my thought, too. Sound of Music is also considered sort of a Christmas movie, too, even though it doesn’t involve Christmas.

16

Christmas Time is Here is definitely a Christmas song.

17

“Closer To the Heart”, by Rush. The chimes at the beginning and end of the opening verse just sound like a Christmas song to me.

18

I always associate “Steppin’ Out” by Joe Jackson with Christmas time. Don’t know why, really, but I always hear it as a Christmas song. I don’t think the lyrics are particularly Christmassy. Maybe it’s the very tinkly keyboards. Or maybe it was on the charts in December back then. However it is, that’s the song that always pops in my head as the “not a Christmas song” Christmas song.

19

Oops, I should have mentioned, my Vince Guaraldi CD has no lyrics, no singing. Just instruments. I’ve never heard anybody sing the song. It only sounds “Christmassy” to me because of the name–but I know the name, so I still can’t listen to it.

20

Technically, Jona Lewie’s Stop the Cavalry isn’t a Christmas song. It was originally released in summer.