Tuning in Christmas

The Little Drummer Boy is stalking me. I’m not kidding. I turn the car stereo to the all-Christmas station, pah-rum-pah-pum-pum. I walk into Walgreens, pah-rum-pah-pum-pum. Sometimes he taunts me in jazz, sometimes in 1950s boys’ choir, but usually he hits me with a bad pop version. Repeatedly. Right over the head with his little, irritating drumsticks.

There are worse songs for stalking—“Feliz Navidad,” for instance. And I dare you to read that without the melody popping into your head. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is fun to hear exactly one time. And don’t get me started on “The Christmas Shoes.”

I love Christmas music. It’s everything I can do to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to load up my CD player and rotate Kenny G, Jim Brickman, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, and the soundtrack from “Rudolph.” The music makes me want to bake cookies and crush candy canes. I hum all the time. If my house were bigger, I’d probably skip through it.

Currently, I’m hooked on Sarah McLachlan’s recording of “River” (a Joni Mitchell holiday song) and I’m trying desperately to track down an advanced piano duet of “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Last year, I was all about “White Christmas” and “Mary Did You Know.” Two years ago, it was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

I love that about Christmas music. Particular songs sneak up on us each year and make us nostalgic, introspective, joyful. It’s like a special treat when we hear them—like the song is being played just for us…just for this moment.

Well, except for the Drummer Boy. May his sticks rest for a good long time, I’m sayin’.

Comments

[Michael Patrick Leahy]

Christine,

Personally I am stalked by Paul McCartney's "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time".

Great novel on John Newton by the way.

Check out my blog --http://michaelpatrickleahy.blogspot.com -- where I give it a plug. Have you thought about cross promoting with the upcoming movie Amazing Grace ?

[VIC PECORINO]

WITH REFERRENCE TO YOUR FORTHCOMING BOOK ON "OH LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET ME GO " I HAVE A DEAR FRIEND ,PERRY TAYLOR ,A FORMER MINISTER OF MUSIC WHO RECENTLY LOST HIS WIFE. AS HE SAT BY HER BEDSIDE HER LAST WORDS WERE THAT SONG AS SHE FAINTLY SANG OH LOVE THT WOULD NOT LET ME GO. I LONGINGLY LOOK FORWARD O THIS STORY .....VIC