# Unexpected Christmas songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284 "2013-12-14T01:24:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/1 "2013-12-14T01:24:06Z")
David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing “Little Drummer Boy” (and successfully pulling it off) is a classic, but did you know that Styx recorded an abbreviated version of the “Hallelujah Chorus”? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3AXPfjyHRkI/maxresdefault.jpg "Styx - Hallelujah Chorus (edited) [XIR 2012]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AXPfjyHRkI) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/2 "2013-12-14T01:44:20Z")
No, I did not know that. (Although I’m not sure it counts as an unexpected _Christmas_ song.) Domo arigato. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/3 "2013-12-14T02:19:07Z")
Joni Mitchell, “I Wish I Had A River”, strictly speaking not a Christmas song, but at least once every year, in the lead up to Christmas, I find myself wishing I had a river to just skate away on. Y’know, instead of another rushed trip to the mall. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/4 "2013-12-14T02:20:38Z")
Bob Dylan’s Christmas album was certainly unexpected when it turned up! ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/5 "2013-12-14T03:33:04Z")
[Twisted Sister - Oh Come All Ye Faithful](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAzE73oly50) ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/6 "2013-12-14T09:01:18Z")
Sex Pistols - Jingle Bells [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NDU4Z_BBkTA/hqdefault.jpg "Sex Pistols - Jingle Bells") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDU4Z_BBkTA) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/7 "2013-12-14T13:12:57Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Joni Mitchell, “I wish I Had A River”, strictly speaking not a Christmas song, but at least once every year, in the lead up to Christmas, I find myself wishing I had a river to just skate away on. Y’know, instead of another rushed trip to the mall. Outstanding song, outstanding post. mmm ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/8 "2013-12-14T13:23:02Z")
This is somewhat different than the OP was thinking of, but I’ve always felt that Eric Johnson’s _Cliffs of Dover_ sounds like a Christmas song. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-christmas-songs/676284/9 "2013-12-14T23:43:22Z")
I heard this song while walking at the mall a few days ago. I never realized what a wonderful singer Chrissie Hynde is until I heard it. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1SkWIqQ3oLY/hqdefault.jpg "The Pretenders - 2000 miles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SkWIqQ3oLY) And as for Styx, the “Hallelujah Chorus” ends one side of the album. THIS ends the other one; it was a #1 request on the “Dr. Demento Show” for many years. It truly must be heard to be believed. May be NSFW. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qB-nGVqNciE/hqdefault.jpg "STYX - Don't Sit Down On the Plexiglass Toilet") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB-nGVqNciE)