I've been listening to a lot of Christmas music this season, and began wondering what carol or song is your favorite. While my tastes have changed a little over the years, my favorite carol has not:

O Holy Night.

'Silent Night' and 'Have yourself a merry little christmas'

Nice thread Kly

1. O Holy Night
2. Christmas Shoes
3. The Twelve Days of a Redneck Christmas
4. The Little Drummer Boy
5. All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
6. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
7. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

That's all I can think of now

Good King Wenceslas gets my nod.

"Have Yourself a Merry Christmas". I love that line about "if the fates allow". The song was released as part of a Judy Garland movie made during WWII. It talks about the possibility of being together for the holiday, a subject (especially then) that is particularly poignant.

Also, just about ANYTHING by Bing Crosby. His voice was just made for Christmas carols.

Silent Night and Drummer Boy

I like it when I hear White Christmas by Bing Crosby on the radio

I am told that when I was 5 and younger, The Little Drummer Boy, sung by the Vienna Boy's Choir, would make me cry. My cousin at that age would always weep to Arrivederce Roma.

Does anyone here remember The King Family?? They were this HUGE family that sang, and they used to have different holiday specials on TV in the 1960's. They would just rerun them year after year.

Well, one of the women in the family had a son serving in Vietnam. She sang "I'll Be Home For Christmas" to his photo. While she was singing, they snuck him onstage. The reunion was very touching. Every year, my best friend Kathleen and I would watch the special and say, "I wonder if he'll come home this year?" (being six or so, we had not caught on to the concept of reruns) To this day, every time I hear that song on the radio, I start to cry and think of Mrs. King.

Some of us are too young to remember them.

Actually I do remember them.

My 2 favorite Christmas songs are "Silent Night" and "The First NOEL."


Don Cardi

yo Yo YO .... Big Daddy is in Da House and giving a shout out and a Merry Christmas to all my peeps .....

SC, I laughed when I saw your comment, not only because Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was listed and is one of my favorites but because of the reason - the verse "if the fates allow" is the exact reason I tell people who ask.

I have known that song all while growing up - there was always Christmas music in my house as a kid, and although I was familiar with that song, I never really paid much attention to it, nor to the words. Kind of a simple song, didn't razz me much. Anyway over 10 years ago, I started teaching myself the piano, took some lessons as a kid never followed up so started teaching myself. Anyway the one song I was learning was this song and in doing so I became a bit more aware of the lyrics and this one in particular hit home. It was only about a week before that my niece than 11 years old was admitted to the hospital with leukemia, and to be honest things did not look good and it was probably just about this time, a few weeks before Christmas. When I was reading the verse, through the years we all will be together, if the fates allowed - it really hit home, and ever since than has remained one of my favorites. And fyi, a happy ending to the story is my niece is doing fine today - she actually died twice in the hospital but they got her back, more heart issues due to the chemo and medicines so she still takes medicines today for her heart but other than that she is A OK.

If anyone ever needs to have perspective put in their lives - visit a children's hosptial cancer floor. It is something you do not, nor can forget.

Wow. May she continue to do well and enjoy many Christmases with her family.

Big Daddy -

Thanks for sharing that story with us. To echo Klydon1's words, I too hope that she continues to do well. May God bless her!

And yes, I agree that a visit to a childrens hospital really does make you put life in perspective. You are so right about that.





Don Cardi

A Marshmallow World, performed by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra during the Dean Martin Variety Show broadcasted in 1967. Good song and they just make it excellent! (search youtube for "Dean Martin Marshmellow World" and you'll find the recording). It's also available on their album "Christmas with the Rat Pack".

Me and a friend performed this song at our last Winter Concert for school, it was a good time.

My personal favorite Christmas tune that's also a prime candidate of hate from the censors:

"Christmas at Ground Zero"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_CP3OKWGYE

NOTE - "Ground Zero" refers to the core target zone of a nuclear bomb explosion. The connotation with the phrase is perhaps why some folks are squemish to play it on the radio anymore.

"Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses.

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

tony b.

Springsteen has another good one called Merry Christmas, Baby.

-Happy XMas (War is Over) by John Lennon
-Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney
-Let It Snow by Dean Martin

Happy XMas (War is Over) by John Lennon
Power Of Love-Frankie Goes To Hollyood
Merry Xmas Everyone-Shakin Stevans

I have many, many favorites - probably too many to be listed here.

But, I will name a few.

Often times, I will think of a song or carol because it is forever linked with a particular image, film, television show or play.

Examples: Even though I was quite familiar with Judy Garland singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, part of me will now always associate it with The Godfather.

Whenever I hear Vince Guaraldi's score for A Charlie Brown Christmas - particularly the opening song - I can't help but get a bit weepy.

Many years ago, there were two brief "spots" that used to air during the Christmas season on our local CBS television station (particularly in the middle of the night). One was animated, done in a very minimalist style - it reminded me a little of the comic strip "Ziggy". Against a pure white snowy background, we saw a large tree, devoid of leaves, with many birds perched it in, chirping away. Into the scene walks a man. He stops by the tree, looks at it for a moment, then takes out a saw. The birds see him and become suddenly quiet. Instead of cutting down the tree, the man begins to play the saw like a violin (or viola), and plays several bars of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. When he finishes, there is a moment of silence, then, one by one, the birds start singing again.

The other spot that I remember was live-action, and very brief (probably no more than 15 seconds). It showed different scenes of little children playing in the snow: running, rolling, on sleds, etc., while on the soundtrack we heard The Little Drummer Boy sung - it sounded like, to me - by a choir. The only word on the screen was Joy.

They aired those for years in this area. I think I remember seeing them from the late 1960s until the early 1980s. I don't know if they aired anywhere else. Wish I had them on tape. I wonder if anyone else remembers them?

Those were the first things that popped into my head. When my head starts popping again, I may post more.

Signor V.

My all-time favorite is "Baby, It's Cold Outside". It's so cute. Dean Martin's is good, and Bette Midler and James Caan have a great one too. (From the movie "For The Boys".)

My other favorites--

"White Christmas", because I've never had one, and the feeling of the song is just so nice. And Dean Martin's version is just gorgeous.

"A Marshmallow World", again because it's so cute. I like cute Christmas songs.

I also like Lou Rawls' "Merry Christmas, Baby".

"Oh Holy Night" is also beautiful, probably my favorite from the more traditional ones.

Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree have been two of my favorites for many years.

I especially enjoy Boogie Woogie Santa Claus by Brian Setzer.

I've been listening to I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas by the Drifters (as heard in Home Alone) all day long, thanks to this cute video that my mom sent me.


TL, I have and love "Christmas with the Rat Pack"!

Besides Marshmallow World, I especially like The Christmas Waltz and I Believe.

Oh I know, they're so great! I love when they start twirling and dancing in the middle of that song. I didn't find it on YouTube... maybe someone spelled something wrong or something? I'll try different spellings later. But yeah, it's fantastic, they're so funny.

Gi, I have that album too, and like you said, I love "I Believe". Also a cute song. What is it with me and cute?

I think I'd have to go with Blue Christmas, as performed my Elvis Presley.

Then again...I'm pretty partial towards The King.

Here's a great video from YouTube of Elvis playing the song live. Man I would have loved to see him live.

And of course, let us not forget:

Leroy the Redneck Reindeer

Signor V.

"O Come All Ye Faithful" ("Adeste Fideles") is probably my favorite. There's also "Do You Hear What I Hear" which I've loved since childhood, and also I think "O Holy Night" is probably one of the most beautiful songs ever written (even rivaling Ave Maria)...

I just picked up "Christmas With The Rat Pack" last week. Love it. I played it so much this week that my kids threatened to hide it until next Christmas unless I gave it a break.



Don Cardi

I have a few favorites. The older traditional:

White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, and probably one of the prettiest carols, "Oh, Holy Night." Every year at work someone brings in a cd player the week before break and we all bring Christmas music. One girl has a Sinatra Christmas album she always brings. I love it.

I also like: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Blue Christmas, I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus (John Mellenkamp), Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Springsteen), oh and one of my very favorites, Happy Christmas, War Is Over (John Lennon).

There are many more but that's all I can think of right now.

TIS

I remember that as a kid and had you not mentioned it, I don't think it would have ever surfaced in my memory. That was a pleasant spot.

I posted the spelling in my original post, here's what to search when you get on youtube, "Dean Martin Marshmellow World". You put an E in mellow instead of an A in mallow.

It's a great Christmas album. I also like the Christmas Waltz, I Believe, Christmas Time All Over the World, Baby it's Cold Outside, and I've Got my Love to Keep me Warm. The whole album's a good one, but those songs are my favorites.