Richard Bodin
David Moya
Little Saint Nick, by the Beach Boys
The song, written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love was first released on December 9, 1963 and quickly peaked number 3 in Billboard magazine’s special seasonal weekly Christmas Singles charts. A slightly version was released a year later on the band’s Christmas Album. The song is classic Beach Boys song, very much similar from the Little Deuce Coupe, and is now a Christmas Classic.
Santa Claus is Back in Town, by Elvis Presley
The song was written in 1957 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and first recorded that year by Elvis Presley. In this song, Elvis addresses a young lady, and hints that he is Santa, but that he doesn’t have any reindeers, or big sack on his back. Instead he is coming in his big black Cadillac, and is about to come down her chimney… Naughty Elvis!… Despite the double meaning, the song is now another Christmas Classic…
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, by the Jackson 5
The song was originally written by Tommy Connor and first recorded by Jimmy Boyd in 1952. But it is the Jackson 5’s version in 1970 that is probably the most famous. The boy in the song is shocked to see his mom kissing Santa Claus, and is going to tell his Dad. Michael Jackson was barely 12 when the track was recorded, so his young voice hits a perfect on this joke.
Ding Dong, Ding Dong, by George Harrison
Okay so this one is not exactly a Christmas song, but more like New Year’s one… Who cares? The song features on Harrison’s Dark Horse 1974 album and is issued as the lead single. Many saw in this song an allusion from the guitarist trying to distance himself from the Beatles… “Ring out the old, ring in the new”. But apparently the lyrics would come from engravings he found at his nineteenth-century home, Friar Park, in Oxfordshire, left there by its eccentric founder, Frank Crisp.
Santa is Back in Town, by Trower Priest Brown
This cover of the old Elvis Presley song, covered earlier in the playlist, has a very soulful feel. The band’s blues influences are strongly present, not just in Robin’s long guitar solos, but also from the addition of renowned harmonica player Paul Jones (Manfred Mann/Blues Band). It’s a very bluesy and soulful version.
Christmas in Heaven, by the Monty Pythons
A lot of artists have come up with Christmas specials, so why not the Pythons? And as usual, you can imagine that as far they are concerned, it is not conceivable that they would take it seriously… The song ends Monty Python’s Meaning of Life when everybody is dead from eating the salmon mousse and has been taken to Heaven by the Grim Reaper…
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, by Elmo & Patsy
Randy Brooks, was singing in clubs with his bands around Dallas, and he loved singing funny stories to make the crowd laugh… One day, after hearing the quite emotional GrandMa’s Christmas Card by Merle Haggard, he thought it would be funny to write a song where Grandma dies at Christmas, and quickly came with the idea of Santa running her over. Coupled with inspiration with Randy’s uncle Foster who had a great comedy act as a drunk, and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer was born. Randy played in front of a few crowd (despite his band not being to happy about it), and one day caught the attention of Elmo & Patsy who asked if they could record it… The rest is history.
Christmastime, by the Smashing Pumpkins
The song was originally released as part of a christmas special compilation called A Very Special Christmas (vol.3) sold in 1997 for the benefit of the Special Olympics, and featuring artists like Chris Cornell, Patti Smith and … The Smashing Pumpkins. Although it is essentially a solo effort by Billy Corgan paired with producer Arif Mardin. The delicate and beautiful song is about the wait before opening the presents… Also the last ‘nice and decent’ christmas song in this playlist before a punky turn…
Merry Xmas Everybody, by Slade
In 1973, Slade was at their peak. After releasing two number-one singles (Cum on Feel the Noize and Squeeze me Pleeze me), their manager suggested a Christmas Special. At first the band wasn’t up for it. But one day, in the shower, bassist Jim Lea came up with a melody for the verse. He then remembered a song Noddy Holder had written 6 years before and discarded, the chorus would fit perfectly. He phoned Holder, and shared the idea. The vocalist spend the night working on lyrics and there it was… The 3rd number 1 for the band that year, the sixth of their carreer and their last. The hit remained on top of the charts up until February ’74.
Father Christmas, by the Kinks
Father Christmas was released in 1977 as a single by the Kinks, with Prince of the Punks as a B-side. And there you get the idea. The Kinks had always been band talking about popular working class. With their ‘christmas’ song, the band tells the story of a mall Santa being mugged by gang of poor kids.
Father Christmas, give us some money / We got no time for your silly toys / We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over / We want your bread so don’t make us annoyed / Give all the toys to the little rich boys…
It sheds a different light on the cheerful festive period by highlighting the difficulties of poor working class, with a very cynical punk anthem.
La Mère Noël, by Bérurier Noir
Another punk take on christmas, but from France this time. Different country but same struggles. Bérurier Noir is one of the major punk band in France, and know how to take the pulse of the young working class. Earlier in 1985, they released one of the greatest anti-fascist anthem in France, Porcherie (pigsty). Released before christmas, La Mère Noël, is about unpriviledged children being left out on Christmas. In the song, a poor mom is going around skips and dumps, gathering unwanted or broken toys for her children. The drunken father is dead, and the kids leave their ranger boots in front of the chimney hoping for guns or knives… The mom climbs the roof, tries to go down the chimney but the little brats lit the fire and she ends up cooked. Charming Story!
Villancico del rey de extremadura, by Extremodur
Extremoduro, led by its primary songwriter Roberto Iniesta, is widely regarded as one of the most prominent representations of rebellious poetry in Spanish rock music. In their song “Villancico del Rey de Extremadura,” the band has crafted a defiant Christmas song that captures a sense of discontent and resignation towards life.
The lyrics of the song describe a feeling of frustration and disillusionment with society, as the artist expresses a profound sense of resignation towards the approaching cold and bleakness of the Christmas season. The lack of peace and love in the world is sharply criticized, with the song painting an environment of hostility and constant confrontation. The overall tone of the song is one of pessimism and critical reflection on the complexities of human emotions and the experience of living in a chaotic and contradictory world. The sarcastic and resigned delivery invites the listener to ponder the multifaceted nature of the human condition, challenging the traditional notions of joy and celebration associated with the Christmas holiday. Through this powerful and unconventional Christmas song.
Merry Christmas (I don’t want to fight tonight), by the Ramones
A sad song by The Ramones in 1987, written by Joey. It was released as B-Side to I wanna live which kind went under the radar at the time, as the single failed to even enter the charts. But the song is nevertheless making this playlist. I mean who would deny a spot to the Ramones?
A Christmas Duel, by The Hives & Cindy Lauper
The duet (or duel?) was released as a single in November 2019. The song sounds like a nice and festive little duet… But of course, when it comes the Hives and Cindy Lauper, you should know better… Pelle Almqvist admits to Rolling Stones: “I think Christmas is just our excuse to go full-out Phil Spector and use two drum kits and the bells and whistles. We wanted to have this juxtaposition of really sweet music and nasty lyrics.” The collaboration between the swede punks and the eighties icon is just working perfectly and delivers an explosive and fun christmas song.
Christmas with the Devil, by The Spinal Tap
Although the Spinal Tap is a fabrication for a hilarious rockumentary, the band really recorded songs and got a couple albums released. One of them, the ‘Black Album’ referenced in the movie, includes this little gem: Christmas with the Devil. It is a typical song for the band, speaking about Elves dressed in leather and Angels in chain, rancid plums and stocking in flames… It ends with the members of the band members wishing a Merry Christmas to their audience.
No Presents For Christmas, by King Diamond
King Diamond, the Danish heavy metal singer, released the song “No Presents for Christmas” in 1985. The chilling track has become a popular choice for metalheads during the holiday season, providing a dark alternative to typical Christmas songs. The inspiration for the song came from an event in King Diamond’s childhood. He remembers his parents accidentally putting his Christmas presents under the tree a day early. When he woke up on Christmas morning, there were no presents for him, which was a disappointing experience that stayed with him. This real-life incident served as the basis for the haunting song.
Run Rudolph Run, by Lemmy, Billy F Gibbons & Dave Grohl
What a better way to close this playlist than with a Chuck Berry cover by a very special superband involving Lemmy (Motörhead), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana). Although very true to the original, the trio imprints its very metal signature for our greatest head banging pleasure.
