Every year the radio stations go to 24/7 Christmas music right around Thanksgiving but for me it’s not Christmas until I hear Alving pining away for his hula hoop. What song makes you say, “Okay,* now* it’s Christmas?”
“Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses.
‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ by Slade – but it must be heard off air, by chance, via a crap sound system (ie, heard coming from a garage forecourt as I’m walking by, or in a shop). The 9 bazillion times it appears on television shows doesn’t count.
Not quite the same thing, but as far as I’m concerned, this is the best Christmas program after Doctor Who
I don’t listen to the radio or actively seek out the videos on youtube, so this is my annual viewing of Shakin Stevens and Jona Lewie et al. Last year they debuted the missing-believed-wiped David Bowie Jean Genie during the broadcast! There’s the usual rubbish that gets played every year, but they do dig out some interesting things as well.
I was afraid it wouldn’t be on this year due to all the Savile/Travis folderol here.
Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s duet of Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth. I finally heard it night before last, playing as background music to the local TV guide channel.
Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song.
Darn, you got it in one!
“So This Is Christmas,” by John Lennon. I’m in tears by the end of the first verse.
I get the same feeling when I listen to the theme from A Charlie Brown Christmas.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which is perhaps the only 100% Christmas song I like. (Omitting the usual children’s jingle-jangle stuff, which must simply be tolerated.) When I finally hear a radio station or music system play it, it’s Christmas.
And then they’ll play “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” at which point I have to find a reason to put on my dark glasses and say, “No, I think I got some dust in my eye.” *Every *time.
nitpick: the lennon song is “happy xmas (war is over)”. that one’s mine, too. the charlie brown song is a close second.
Maybe “Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron” or “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”. But half the time my Xmases don’t feel terribly Xmassy anyways.
EDIT: Apparently it’s actually “Snoopy’s Christmas”, the follow-up to the aforementioned song.
The dogs barking “Jingle Bells”!
Serious song: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Not so serious song: Everywhere It’s Christmas (Beatles fan club record)
“Grown-up Christmas List”. Yeah, I tear every damn time I hear it. I’m a sap, what can I say?
“Skating” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
If only in my dreams… Yep, every time.
Bing Crosby’s White Christmas is the song that really means Christmas to me though.
Another vote for Father Christmas-
Carpenters’ Merry Christmas Darling.
Feliz Navidad, by Jose Feliciano.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Canon”.
That was one of my favorite classical pieces as it is. To hear it with that lovely children’s choir is phenomenal.