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]
*A Christmas song * by Jethro Tull:
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.
Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon, about the 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.
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.
Bless the nitpickers, for they distract us from our holiday melancholy.
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:
Imagine being the cashier. The world just doesn’t work like that.
I’ll second (or third, if I missed another) Pretenders’ 2000 Miles.
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…”
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.
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
If I lived in Massachusetts I’d ask you to marry me. I love it! 
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.
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”.
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.
Saddest Christmas song?
Hmmm. Some people think My Favorite Things is a Christmas song.
It doesn’t get much sadder than that. :dubious:
Sorry, jayjay, he’s taken! Not least because of re-written songs like that one.
Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out what The Sound of Music has to do with Christmas.
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).
Cynical. Snarky. Sarcastic.
I think I’m in love
