# The saddest Christmas songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252 "2004-12-17T02:15:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![annaplurabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@annaplurabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annaplurabelle)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/41 "2004-12-17T18:47:07Z")
My Top 5 (in no particular order): **Happy Christmas (War Is Over)** by John Lennon. **I Believe in Father Christmas** by Emerson Lake and Palmer **Do They Know It’s Christmas?** by Band-Aid **Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo** by Trans-Siberian Orchestra **O Holy Night** by almost anyone (except Cher) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/42 "2004-12-17T19:37:35Z")
> [@annaplurabelle](#): > > My Top 5 (in no particular order): > > **Happy Christmas (War Is Over)** by John Lennon. > > **I Believe in Father Christmas** by Emerson Lake and Palmer > > **Do They Know It’s Christmas?** by Band-Aid > > **Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo** by Trans-Siberian Orchestra > > **O Holy Night** by almost anyone (except Cher) [nitpick] Although most of the lyrics websites I see have it as an ELP song, _I Believe in Father Christmas_ was a Greg Lake solo effort. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/43 "2004-12-17T19:40:11Z")
\*A Christmas song \* by Jethro Tull: > [@](#): > > Once in Royal David’s City stood a lowly cattle shed, > where a mother laid her baby. > You’d do well to remember the things He later said. > When you’re stuffing yourselves at the Christmas parties, > you’ll laugh when I tell you to take a running jump. > You’re missing the point I’m sure does not need making; > that Christmas spirit is not what you drink. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/44 "2004-12-17T20:02:34Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > [nitpick] Although most of the lyrics websites I see have it as an ELP song, _I Believe in Father Christmas_ was a Greg Lake solo effort. [/nitpick] Yes and no. The original vinyl single was released under Lake’s name, but it turned up a couple of years later on ELP’s _Works Vol. 2_ album in a mix with Emerson’s keyboards replacing the original orchestra. If that’s Palmer playing the sleigh bells, then that version of the track really is ELP, (which is more than can be said for a lot of that album). The currently available CD single has ELP’s name and picture on the front. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/45 "2004-12-17T20:05:16Z")
_Christmas in the Trenches_ by John McCutcheon, about the [Christmas truce](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce) of 1914. Both uplifting, because the soldiers are able to put aside the war for a day, and depressing because the next day they have to return to shooting at eachother. ---
**Author:** ![annaplurabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@annaplurabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annaplurabelle)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/46 "2004-12-17T20:14:15Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > [nitpick] Although most of the lyrics websites I see have it as an ELP song, _I Believe in Father Christmas_ was a Greg Lake solo effort. [/nitpick] You are correct, nitpicker. 🙂 It was originally released as a Lake solo during an ELP hiatus. The version I have appeared on ELP’s _Works, Vol 2_. ---
**Author:** ![annaplurabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@annaplurabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annaplurabelle)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/47 "2004-12-17T20:21:55Z")
Bless the nitpickers, for they distract us from our holiday melancholy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/48 "2004-12-17T21:06:15Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Nothing comes close. I actually teared up the first time I heard it. > > > [@](#): > > > > Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please > > It’s Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size > > Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there’s not much time > > You see she’s been sick for quite a while > > And I know these shoes would make her smile > > And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight > > [http://www.lyricsstyle.com/n/newsong/thechristmasshoes.html](http://www.lyricsstyle.com/n/newsong/thechristmasshoes.html) Glurge. The song doesn’t ring true. My “favorite” part is when the cashier refuses to sell the shoes to the kid because he doesn’t have enough: > [@](#): > > He counted pennies for what seemed like years > Then the cashier said, “Son, there’s not enough here” Imagine being the cashier. The world just doesn’t work like that. I’ll second (or third, if I missed another) Pretenders’ **2000 Miles**. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/49 "2004-12-17T21:13:09Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > It’s from _Meet Me In St. Louis_, and I think the contradiction is supposed to be that the Christmas is NOT in fact merry, because the Smith family has just learned that they will be moving away from St. Louis. Tootie, the little girl, is crying because Santa won’t know how to find her next year. I’m pretty sure it’s wintertime though, because Judy Garland is looking out over a snowy yard when she sings. The interesting thing is that there are two versions of _Have Yourself…_, which I call “the sad version” (which I think is the original) and “the happy version.” It’s amazing how the mood of the song can be changed with the replacement of a few key phrases. In the happy verision, both occurences of the phrase “by next year” are replaced with “from now on,” and the line “until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow” is replaced with “hang a shining star upon the highest bough.” And the thing about the final line of _I’ll Be Home For Christmas_ being “Well, maybe next year” was a joke, I think. Although I like the idea of capping it with that for humor’s sake. I envision it sung to the old “good evening, friends…” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/50 "2004-12-17T21:27:57Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > It’s from _Meet Me In St. Louis_, and I think the contradiction is supposed to be that the Christmas is NOT in fact merry, because the Smith family has just learned that they will be moving away from St. Louis. Tootie, the little girl, is crying because Santa won’t know how to find her next year. I’m pretty sure it’s wintertime though, because Judy Garland is looking out over a snowy yard when she sings. I just saw the movie a couple of weeks ago. The scene does happen in winter, as the family had just made a family of snowpeople in the yard that day. Garland’s character is sneaking back into the house after a clandestine meeting with her beau and finds Tootie sitting in the window well of the bedroom with her doll, pouting about the move. Garland sings the song and the little girl runs outside when it’s over and starts hacking at the snowpeople with a broomstick because she feels like her whole world is falling apart with the impending move. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/51 "2004-12-17T21:35:54Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > I keep hoping a new version will come out telling him “Look, she’s dead, no use in wasting your money on new shoes. Jesus doesn’t care what’s on her feet.” Perhaps my improvement will help: \*It was almost Christmas time, my little thieves stood in a line Waitin’ to learn my latest scam, take advantage of that Christmas mood "Get yer wee selves one and all, and hie ye on down to the mall Pace around like you wee shits do And grab yourself a fancy pair of shoes "Yer clothes must be worn and old, and ye be dirty head to toe And when it comes yer time to pay This is just what you need to say: Chorus: ‘Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please It’s Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there’s not much time You see she’s been sick for quite a while And I know these shoes would make her smile And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight’ "Now count out pennies and weep ye some tears And when cashier says, “Son, there’s not enough here” Then search your pockets frantically And turn to the mark piteously And say ‘Mama made Christmas good at our house Though most years she just did without Tell me Sir, what am I going to do, Somehow I’ve got to buy her these Christmas shoes’ “The mark’ll lay the money down, the fool thinks he’s helpin out Ye’ll treasure the look on his face when he says Yer Mama’s gonna look so great” ‘Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please It’s Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there’s not much time You see she’s been sick for quite a while And I know these shoes would make her smile And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight’ “Hang around till the cashiers change Take back the shoes, get yer money back And bring it home to Fagan, dears Remind me just what Christmas is all about”\* I was listening to the song this afternoon, appalled at its greasy manipulation even as it affected me. Then halfway through the song I realized what a great scam that little kid had going on, and it brightened up my whole day. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/52 "2004-12-17T21:43:07Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Perhaps my improvement will help: > > _It was almost Christmas time, my little thieves stood in a line > Waitin’ to learn my latest scam, take advantage of that Christmas mood > "Get yer wee selves one and all, and hie ye on down to the mall > Pace around like you wee shits do > And grab yourself a fancy pair of shoes_ If I lived in Massachusetts I’d ask you to marry me. I love it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/53 "2004-12-17T22:12:26Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Kythereia- I only paid attention to the lyrics of Coventry Carol a few years ago- YIPES! I believe the song is associated with the Coventry mystery plays, and of course specifically with the play depicting the Slaughter of the Innocents. I think part of the reason I love the song is because of my great fondness for medieval drama, although I’m not very familiar with the Coventry cycle. (My favorite is the York cycle, although Wakefield has some tremendous moments.) When I was in high school, actually, the senior chorale one year did a rendition of this song that was positively chilling. It was great. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/54 "2004-12-17T22:16:15Z")
This Appalachian folk carol: “I wonder as I wander out under the sky, How Jesus, our Savior, did come for to die For poor orn’ry people like you and like I, I wonder as I wander out under the sky” Other carols with traditional melodies in minor keys: Mexican: “La virgen lava pañales”. Catalonian:: “The carol of the birds”. [The Sleep of the Infant Jesus](http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/Images/Hutchins/Sleep_Of_The_Infant_580.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Cerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Cerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerri)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/55 "2004-12-17T22:30:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Do They Know It’s Christmas? by Band-Aid You know, being a child of the 80’s, I loved this song as a teen, but I’m not sure I ever really _listened_ to the words. I mean, I knew the lyrics by heart, but I didn’t really listen. I hadn’t heard it for a few years, and heard it on the 80’s radio station just last week, and it really hit me for the first time how truly freakin’ depressing the song is. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/56 "2004-12-17T22:41:53Z")
Saddest Christmas song? Hmmm. Some people think _My Favorite Things_ is a Christmas song. It doesn’t get much sadder than that. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/57 "2004-12-17T23:03:16Z")
> [@](#): > > _If I lived in Massachusetts I’d ask you to marry me._ Sorry, **jayjay** , he’s taken! Not least because of re-written songs like that one. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/58 "2004-12-17T23:32:43Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Saddest Christmas song? > > Hmmm. Some people think _My Favorite Things_ is a Christmas song. > > It doesn’t get much sadder than that. :dubious: Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out what _The Sound of Music_ has to do with Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/59 "2004-12-18T00:12:01Z")
In additon to **The Coventry Carol** , the other one that gets to me is **The Cherry Tree Carol**. \*When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee And one day as they went walking, all in the garden green There were berries and cherries as thick as may be seen There were berries and cherries as thick as may be seen Then Mary said to Joseph, so meek and so mild “Joseph, gather me some cherries for i am with child” “Joseph, gather me some cherries for i am with child” The Joseph flew in anger, in anger flew he “let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee” Then up spoke baby Jesus, from out Mary’s womb “bow down ye tallest tree that my mother might have some Bow down ye tallest tree that my mother might have some” So bent down the tallest tree to touch mary’s hand Said she, “oh look now Joseph, I have cherries at command” Said she, “oh look now Joseph, I have cherries at command” When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee\* I think it’s the malice he shows when he finds out Mary’s pregnant that gets to me. The only version I’ve heard is sung my Judy Collins, and there’s something about her voice that just makes me tear up (in a good way). ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252/60 "2004-12-18T00:53:05Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Perhaps my improvement will help: Cynical. Snarky. Sarcastic. I think I’m in love 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saddest-christmas-songs/280252.md?page=4)