Richard Carpenter's story in the Wall Street Journal Friday of how he and his sister, Karen, recorded their holiday hit "Merry Christmas Darling" got me thinking about favorite Christmas songs.
Carpenter in Marc Myers' always entertaining "Anatomy of a Song" feature in the WSJ recalled that his college music professor, Frank Pooler, wrote the lyrics in 1946 when separated from his then girlfriend. Carpenter wrote the music 20 years later. Featuring Karen's gorgeous, aching vocal, “Merry Christmas Darling” was an instant Christmas classic when released in 1970.
Searching through YouTube, I listened to some of my favorite Christmas songs, an offbeat list.
The Ronettes' "Sleighride," with Phil Spector's witty audio effects, always brings a smile and a tear. Ronnie Spector's Spanish Harlem accent and upbeat delivery make me want to be with her, riding through the snow.
"Pretty Paper," written by Willie Nelson and memorably recorded by Roy Orbison in 1963, evokes a holiday mood of busy cities and caring for others. Like many of Nelson's songs, "Pretty Paper" succeeds on different levels, expressing peace and love while criticizing the holiday's commercialism and self-absorption. Willie's versions on YouTube display his genius as a performer.
"Christmas in Dixie" by Alabama, released in 1981, gives a vision of a unified America, lost today. The song's references to several American cities, ending in the band's home of Fort Payne, Ala., raises chills. Christmas is never complete until I hear that song.
"I'll Be Home for Christmas," first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1942 and re-recorded countless times since, recalls the perilous days of World War II. The song is about an American soldier far from home, recalling the joys of his family Christmas. Crosby's "White Christmas" offers a similar message. But "I'll Be Home for Christmas" for me is the best expression of America's World War II spirit.
Merry Christmas to all. May your old favorites bring you joy, and may all your Christmases be bright.
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