One of the first albums I listen to every Christmas season is Elvis Presley’s “If Every Day Was Like Christmas,” an album that captures what my mother-in-law calls Elvis’ “warbling” stage. It is melodramatic and overcooked, and I love it. It is at once dour and delightful, which is how I like my Christmas music.Â
I love straight-up joyful Christmas carols, too, and ridiculous songs like Bing Crosby’s “Snow.” But sad Christmas songs capture the lower register of feelings that usually accompany the season, from nostalgia and longing to frustration and winter flu.Â
Below you’ll find my (Elvis-heavy) list of Top Ten Delightfully Depressing Christmas Songs. This list avoids the many, many
intentionally creepy Christmas songs. Well, mostly–the last entry requires some explanation, which you’ll find at the bottom of the post. Â
Be sure to tell me what I missed!
1. Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley versionÂ
2. Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Original Band Aid version
3. The River – Sarah McLachlan versionÂ
4. Last Christmas – WHAM!Â
5. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon version
6. Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees – Elvis PresleyÂ
7. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – U2 version
8. It Won’t Seem Like Christmas Without You – Elvis Presley version
9. I’ll Be Home on Christmas Day – Elvis Presley version
10. Baby It’s Cold Outside – Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel*
*This is a recent entry to my list, because the other day a friend sorta ruined it by pointing out that this version with Zooey Deschanel and the legendary Leon Redbone has a whiff of Lolita about it. His aging voice combined with the young chanteuse gives a nasty edge to lines like “My mother will start to worry / My father will be pacing the floor.” It also sounds like he’s trying to get her stoned: “Say, what’s in this drink?” Also, Wikipedia notes that Sayyid Qutb, the Islamic intellectual who attended college at the University of Northern Colorado and whose writings helped shape modern-day Islamist terrorism, cited the song as part of his critiques of the moral failings of Americans.Â
posted December 15, 2008 at 12:02 pm
ok
overal, what is your deal with the KING ? elvis aaron presley is an oracle for all that is festive
and #10 ? I encourage you & your friend to cease & desist your gutter head – that is a sublime cover
now – - here are some you missed
santa baby – madonna
Wonderful Christmas Time – macca
Christmastime – The Smashing Pumpkins
Merry Christmas With Love – Clay Aiken
oi to the world – no doubt
and the most depressing non – “Christian” Christmas song ever:
Please, Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas) – John Denver
and the most depressing “Christian” Christmas song & video ever:
Christmas Shoes – Newsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNsvE33pRSw
I hope that this will not degenerate into the type of comment smackdown that drives web stats – if so, I go with the words of Joey Ramone
Merry Christmas baby, let’s not fight
posted December 15, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Bob,
My deal with the King is that I love him. I said these songs are delightful, see? Especially his–I had to restrain myself from adding a couple more of his tracks.
I also agree that #10 is a super duper cover of “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” My favorite version.
Thanks for the titles–perfect. I actually weighed adding the John Denver one in the first place, but I can’t seem to find it delightful.
posted December 15, 2008 at 1:29 pm
A really good under-the-radar release that you might like is Low’s Christmas EP. Very slow, often depressing, but also quite beautiful; don’t know if it would come close enough to the “delightful” criteria (let alone provide any top-10 material), but it’s one of the only Christmas albums I can play repeatedly without getting tired of it.
posted December 15, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Elvis version. He’ll be home for Christmas… if only in his mind! Sad!
The Christmas Blues – Dean Martin
“I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I don’t enthuse…”
Merry Christmas, Baby – the Beach Boys, a Christmas breakup pop gem
“why she’d do it this time of year?”
posted December 17, 2008 at 2:49 pm
A delightful list, I am listening to one of your picks right now! I hope you have heard Elvis Presley Christmas Duets. You can read all about it at a page that I have written http://www.squidoo.com/elvispresleychristmasduets and you can actually record your own voice singing with the King to Blue Christmas! It was a lot of fun (even though I cannot sing) and you can read all about recording with Elvis at http://www.squidoo.com/singwithelvispresley .
Brenda
posted December 21, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Blue Christmas is the one song that will cause me to change radio stations faster than any song ever made. I despise it. Ick.
posted December 25, 2008 at 3:22 am
Patton – how about “Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas)” – I heard the Alan Jackson version though I gather John Denver started this mess.
posted January 30, 2009 at 10:32 pm
What!? No one mentioned Jill Sobule’s _Christmas is the Saddest Day of the Year_!?
posted May 26, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Not sure how I feel about these computer made duets with dead artists ?
I love the King and I’m all for bringing his music to new fans, but cant help but feel these duets would make him turn over