![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lazypadawanSome people love Christmas music. Others hate it. Most of us though don't mind a few rounds of "Jingle Bells" or something. I happen to like Christmas music. I can even still tolerate "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer," a song that I thought was funny the first time I heard it about 25 years ago. But there are two that frankly get on my nerves every time I hear them.
In this corner, we have "Do They Know It's Christmas." What, you say? How can you dog a song that was recorded to help starving people? Well, back in the day, I dutifully bought the single. Not only was it for a good cause, it was the all-star collaborate effort of every cool Brit pop/rock act of the day. Who was going to turn that down? Well, as I've grown older I've noticed how dumb, or even condescending those lyrics are. Even if hearts were in the right places, it's hard not to cringe at lines like "there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime" (some mountain elevations in Africa do indeed get snow) or the ever compassionate "Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you." Worse yet, the song's success spawned the odious "We Are The World" months later and worst of all, "Tears Are Not Enough." Hopelessly dated.
In the other corner, we have "Wonderful Christmastime" by Sir Paul McCartney. How can a guy who wrote some of the 20th century's best popular music come up with this freakin' annoying song? John Lennon's "And So This Is Christmas (War Is Over)" is a pretty good song, particularly since the producer had the wisdom to drown out Yoko Ono's caterwauling with the kiddie chorus. But "Wonderful Christmastime" is like that HeadOn commercial...irritating AND it replays in your head over and over and over. Especially those keyboards! Aaack! I'm sure it seemed like a great idea back in the '70s after several bong hits. What's this about Hilary Duff doing her own version?
Never mind, "Wonderful Christmastime" wins for most annoying Christmas song.
In this corner, we have "Do They Know It's Christmas." What, you say? How can you dog a song that was recorded to help starving people? Well, back in the day, I dutifully bought the single. Not only was it for a good cause, it was the all-star collaborate effort of every cool Brit pop/rock act of the day. Who was going to turn that down? Well, as I've grown older I've noticed how dumb, or even condescending those lyrics are. Even if hearts were in the right places, it's hard not to cringe at lines like "there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime" (some mountain elevations in Africa do indeed get snow) or the ever compassionate "Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you." Worse yet, the song's success spawned the odious "We Are The World" months later and worst of all, "Tears Are Not Enough." Hopelessly dated.
In the other corner, we have "Wonderful Christmastime" by Sir Paul McCartney. How can a guy who wrote some of the 20th century's best popular music come up with this freakin' annoying song? John Lennon's "And So This Is Christmas (War Is Over)" is a pretty good song, particularly since the producer had the wisdom to drown out Yoko Ono's caterwauling with the kiddie chorus. But "Wonderful Christmastime" is like that HeadOn commercial...irritating AND it replays in your head over and over and over. Especially those keyboards! Aaack! I'm sure it seemed like a great idea back in the '70s after several bong hits. What's this about Hilary Duff doing her own version?
Never mind, "Wonderful Christmastime" wins for most annoying Christmas song.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-11-28 09:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-28 11:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-29 02:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-28 12:24 pm (UTC)