# Songs that aren't Christmas songs, but which still sound Christmassy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 5, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527 "2010-11-05T00:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/21 "2010-11-05T11:30:24Z")
[Keeping the dream alive by Freiheit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9aYrHzEW-w). Wiki mentions it’s a Christmas classic in the UK, although the song itself has nothing to do with Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/22 "2010-11-05T12:20:10Z")
_Hazy Shade of Winter_. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/23 "2010-11-05T13:33:19Z")
_Downtown_ by Petula Clark. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/24 "2010-11-05T13:38:43Z")
Whenever I watch NFL on Fox, I always wonder why they’re playing Christmas music. (Their theme song prominently features the “giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, let’s go” riff from “Sleigh Ride.”) ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/25 "2010-11-05T13:47:05Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Whenever I watch NFL on Fox, I always wonder why they’re playing Christmas music. (Their theme song prominently features the “giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, let’s go” riff from “Sleigh Ride.”) HA! So I’m not the only one! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/26 "2010-11-05T13:59:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring “Jesu” is almost understandable, being about Jesus and all. But for some reason it is often paired at Christmastime with the entirely secular “Sheep may Safely Graze.” Sure, it’s about a shepherd, but not The Shepherd. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/27 "2010-11-05T14:42:49Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Whenever I watch NFL on Fox, I always wonder why they’re playing Christmas music. (Their theme song prominently features the “giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, let’s go” riff from “Sleigh Ride.”) This is exactly what I came in to say. ---
**Author:** ![EristicKallistic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/85e7bf/32.png) [@EristicKallistic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EristicKallistic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/28 "2010-11-05T14:59:31Z")
Ever since _Scrooged_, the song _Put a Little Love in Your Heart_ ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/29 "2010-11-05T15:02:12Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > HA! So I’m not the only one! Nope! Me too! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/30 "2010-11-05T15:14:18Z")
I think almost any song with [tubular bells](http://www.ktpercussion.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/mpimg05chimes216x372.jpg) sounds Christmassy, like the aforementioned “Always Something There To Remind Me” and Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight”. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/31 "2010-11-05T15:30:51Z")
Joni Mitchell’s “River” isn’t really a Christmas song except for the first verse: “It’s coming on Christmas They’re cutting down trees They’re putting up reindeer And singing songs of joy and peace” which is a vaguely cynical summary of the season, but it’s really a “It’s the holidays and I screwed up my relationship and I’m stuck in California where the weather is boring and the people are crazy” song. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/32 "2010-11-05T16:07:47Z")
> [@NetTrekker](#): > > 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 😕 Sleigh Ride pretty well explicitly _excludes_ Christmas. It has the line ``` *There's a birthday party at the home of Farmer Gray.* ``` Anyone born in December can tell you that birthdays near Christmas get ignored, or “This is for Christmas and birthday together!” at best. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/33 "2010-11-05T16:08:22Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Whenever I watch NFL on Fox, I always wonder why they’re playing Christmas music. (Their theme song prominently features the “giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, let’s go” riff from “Sleigh Ride.”) Oh, man, now I won’t be able to hear that music without thinking of that song!! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/34 "2010-11-05T16:31:01Z")
> [@](#): > > “Jesu” is almost understandable, being about Jesus and all. I think what happens is that you get people who never go to church except on Christmas, who go to church on Christmas and hear generic church music, and assume that it’s Christmas music. Same for “Ave Maria”. As for “Sheep may safely graze”, I would have assumed that the shepherd in question was Jesus, but it turns out that it’s a reference to the duke who commissioned the piece. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/35 "2010-11-05T16:55:05Z")
\ding fries are done\ babes in toyland? ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/36 "2010-11-05T17:22:37Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Whenever I watch NFL on Fox, I always wonder why they’re playing Christmas music. (Their theme song prominently features the “giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, let’s go” riff from “Sleigh Ride.”) Isn’t that so bizarre? Seems totally incongruous with football to me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/37 "2010-11-05T17:38:21Z")
Marshmallow World is a winter song but you only hear it Christmas time. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/38 "2010-11-05T17:41:05Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > _Hazy Shade of Winter_. Exactly what I was going to post…The Bangles version, though. I think it’s the jingle bells at the beginning and the fact that it played in “Less Than Zero” at Christmas time. Also, “Satellite,” by Dave Matthews. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/39 "2010-11-06T05:10:17Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I think almost any song with [tubular bells](http://www.ktpercussion.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/mpimg05chimes216x372.jpg) sounds Christmassy, like the aforementioned “Always Something There To Remind Me” and Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight”. [Even this?! :eek:](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYmIKcP7Nbc) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527/40 "2010-11-06T18:08:08Z")
Sure, if you don’t already associate it with _The Exorcist_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-arent-christmas-songs-but-which-still-sound-christmassy/559527.md?page=3)