"Christmas" Songs That Aren't About Christmas

So "Linus and Lucy" just popped up on Pandora's Christmas station, and I got to thinking about Christmas songs that really don't have much to do with Christmas at all. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there were!

Linus and Lucy. First appeared in "A Charlie Brown Christmas", but it's really more of a theme for the characters, and most importantly, they've used it in subsequent non-Christmas Peanuts specials. So I'm putting it in the "non Christmas" category.

Jingle Bells. Really just about winter. No mention of Christmas at all. In fact, Wikipedia says it was originally intented for Thanksgiving!

Sleigh Ride. The original lyrics indicate that it's actually about going to a farmer's birthday party.

Winter Wonderland
Baby, It's Cold Outside
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Just a few more of the "Christmas" songs that are really "generic winter" songs.

Frosty the Snowman. Nope, no Christmas or Santa or anything here either. (Quite the opposite, really. I mean what sort of twisted black magic is in that hat anyway? It it witchcraft? Voodoo? Satanism?)

My Favorite Things. Not only is it not about Christmas, it's only partly about winter. Why people think of this a Christmas song has always been a mystery to me...

Any others I'm missing?

JJ

hahaha. Frosty the voodoo snowman. Ha.

Anyway, yeah, I'm glad you posted this! I always get really enraged when I hear "My Favorite Things" in Christmas mixes.

Well, while it takes place during a Christmas Celebration, I could listen to The Nutcracker Suite all year long - I love the ballet, and Tchaikovsky's music is incredible.

Oddly enough, the first version I ever heard of The Nutcracker, and still my favorite, is the Spike Jones version. I discovered those little RCA 45s in my folk's record collection when I was around 5 or so, and my mom told me I almost wore them out. Maybe that's why I have a healthy sense of the irreverent.

So I guess technically it is Christmas music, but I don't think of it that way.

I'm resurrecting this thread because I'm asking about the same thing: "Holiday" songs, rather than religious ones.

In our (the San Jose Uke Club) "Holiday" songbook we have:

Baby, It's Could Outside
Blue Christmas
Deck the Halls
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Jingle Bells
Jingle Bell rock
Mele Kalikimaka
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Rudolph
Santa Baby
Silver Bells
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Winter Wonderland


I'm working on the song sheet for "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

Any others that a uke club could play? I don't think we'll be tackling anything from the Nutcracker...

Thanks

Gillian said:

I'm resurrecting this thread because I'm asking about the same thing: "Holiday" songs, rather than religious ones.

In our (the San Jose Uke Club) "Holiday" songbook we have:

Baby, It's Could Outside
Blue Christmas
Deck the Halls
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Jingle Bells
Jingle Bell rock
Mele Kalikimaka
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Rudolph
Santa Baby
Silver Bells
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Winter Wonderland


I'm working on the song sheet for "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

Any others that a uke club could play? I don't think we'll be tackling anything from the Nutcracker...

Thanks

Click to expand...

Your list of "holiday" songs is a little broader than that of the original poster in that yours includes songs that specifically mention Christmas (while still omitting religious Christmas songs)while the original post seems to have been looking for songs that get played annually during the Christmas holiday season but are really more seasonal and don't mention Christmas. (Of course, that's a northern hemisphere bias. My guess is that in places like Brazil, Australia, and South Africa, people are more likely to associate summer songs, like "Surfer Girl" and "In The Summertime," with Christmas.)

Anyway, having said all that, here are some additional holiday/Christmas songs:

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer - Elmo and Patsy
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Jimmy Boyd
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams
Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys
Merry Christmas Darling - Carpenters
Silver Bells - Bing Crosby
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - Dave Seville and the Chipmunks
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) - Nat King Cole
We Need A Little Christmas (from the musical "Mame")
Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney

If you want to add a Chanukah song, The Dreidel Song is pretty well-known.

As one who does not observe Christmas, I call these "winter songs."

For the new year, there's What Are You Doing New Year's Eve. And the band XTC did a couple of Christmas songs that aren't exactly religious - Thanks for Christmas, and Countdown to Christmas Party Time. Then there's always the Waitresses' Christmas Wrapping...

Thanks, Mark!

Those are good suggestions.

janeray1940 said:

As one who does not observe Christmas, I call these "winter songs."

For the new year, there's What Are You Doing New Year's Eve. And the band XTC did a couple of Christmas songs that aren't exactly religious - Thanks for Christmas, and Countdown to Christmas Party Time. Then there's always the Waitresses' Christmas Wrapping...

Click to expand...

never heard of those...I'll have to check them out. thanks!

thanks for the thread. I live in non-religious family and I need some ammo for the uke. We still celebrate christmas in our own way though.

Porno for Pyro


Petes Dad

Marshmallow World - Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin

mds725 said:

Of course, that's a northern hemisphere bias. My guess is that in places like Brazil, Australia, and South Africa, people are more likely to associate summer songs.

Click to expand...

90% of the human population lives in the Northern Hemisphere. Brazil is just gonna have to suck it up.

Well, while it occurs during a Xmas Party, I could pay attention to The Nutcracker Package throughout - I love the dancing, and Tchaikovsky's songs is amazing.

Does this count?