MARTY LENNARTZ’ HOLIDAY FAVORITES
The Waitresses – “Christmas Wrapping”
A self exiled Christmas, a last minute errand, chance meeting, the world’s smallest turkey make this a surprise Holiday story that always warms the heart with joy.
Cheech and Chong – “Santa Claus and His Old Lady”
Not a song but a classic comedy bit you have to hear once a year.
‘On Donner, on Blitzen, on Chewy, On Tavo” gets me every time.
James Brown – “Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto”
The funkiest holiday song ever! Written by JB and Hank Ballard from the 1968 album A Soulful Christmas. Tell them Soul Brother Number One sent ya!
New Pornographers – “Joseph, Who Understood”
Posits that Mary and Joseph are a young couple in a family way and Joe has questions. “Rumours are flying, all over Galilee. And Mary, I’m trying, to be cool”
The Handsome Family – “So Much Wine”
Not a Christmas song per se, but it happens on Christmas and people do tend to drink a lot during the holidays. And maybe throw all their clothes in the snow.
Vince Guaraldi – “A Charlie Brown Christmas
”Take your pick. Skating, Christmas Time Is Here, Linus and Lucy.
Hell, just play the whole damn album.
Joni Mitchell – “River”
A lonely Christmas. No snow. No lover. Only thoughts of escape on ice. The quote of Jingle Bells at the end always hits the major holiday feels and makes it the saddest holiday song ever. Other artists try to cover it. They shouldn’t.
Chuck Berry – “Run Rudolph Run”
The song has always been credited to Johnny Marks, who also wrote Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. Chuck says he actually wrote it and got robbed of the royalties. Listen to the song’s lyrics and riffs and tell me Chuck didn’t write this song. Plus, Johnny Marks didn’t rock.
Davitt Sigerson – “It’s A Big Country”
A singer songwriter turned record exec who wrote this sweet song of reaching out and touching family spread out all over the country on Christmas Eve. When I hear it, I start calling folks. Or, wishing I could.
The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl – “Fairy Tale Of New York”
“Christmas Eve in the drunk tank”. The equally great Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl take characters in this bawdy bank and forth that captures an Irish ex-pat couple and trades sentiment with spew of hilarious vulgarities from Kirsty directed at “himself”. “The boys of NYPD Choir, Still singing Galway Bay. And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day.” Makes you want to hoist one yourself.
Low – “Long Way Around The Sea”
From their brilliant “Christmas” album, the wonderful duo of Alan Sparhawk and the late Mimi Parker wrote this haunting dirge that is more about Christmas, The Next Day. Not too many holiday songs mention King Herod.
Fishbone – “Slick Nick, You Devil You”
Neighborhood Santa causes problems. “I saw Slick Nick fall over The Christmas Tree. He was a different man than mom and dad told me he would be.”
The Kinks – “Father Christmas”
A rock n roll classic that would be a great song even if it wasn’t about Christmas. It’s money those kids want. Leave the toys for the little rich boys. Yeah!
The Christmas Mouse – “Trudy Buck”
A Christmas song that is so frightening, it makes you hope the exterminator keeps holiday hours. Lin Brehmer made it a tradition to terrify XRT listeners each Christmas with this song. The tradition will live on, this Christmas Eve, when it gets its horrifying spin on the XRT Morning Show.