Christmas Day has always been a let down because of how spectacularly the approach of Christmas is always built up. I’ve always loved that week before Christmas more than the day itself. As a kid, the anticipation could not have been greater if I knew with 100% certainty that a Messiah was actually going to be born and save the world. There’s a terrible Bob Dylan song that really best captures the psychotic pre-Christmas state of childhood best — the absolutely bizarre It Must Be Santa. He was raised Jewish (not clear what he believes now) so it’s odd that he nails that feeling for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qE6WQmNus
I feel like this is why we need a proper return to the twelve days of Christmas starting at Christmas and ending on January 6… all that build up should last more than one day! Also I'm so excited for this terrible Bob Dylan song.…
I tried to seek out sad indie Christmas songs when I was in college. They are mostly covers. Some I still love and some grate, and I realize I do love a Christmas pop song but like you said, they’re hard to come by! On the Sabrina front I like “Is It New Year’s Yet?” which is about being sad that you’re single.
I also heard “A Nonsense Christmas” in a Happiest Season TikTok edit and it’s so catchy that I listen to it year round.
I love “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor, genuinely. She does her happy sad thing and I always get choked up at the end. “Baby baby, Merry Christmas!”
On the true melancholy front, the songs I’ve returned to are “Tracks in the Snow” by The Civil Wars (RIP)
“That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!” by Sufjan Stevens “I’m Not Really in the Christmas Mood This Year” by Foxtail Brigade “Christmas Makes Me Cry” by Kacey Musgraves “Christmas Comes Too Early” by Semler and “Merry Christmas, I’m Yours” by Brittain Ashford.
"Christmas Tree Farm" is a really solid Christmas song, I agree. Taylor has a bunch of good not Christmas Christmas songs too—"champagne problems," "tis the damn season," "I Look Through People's Windows"… but I wanted to leave her out of the post bc I feel like poor Jack's Bleachers stuff is always under the shadow of Taylor.
I will be listening to the Nina song, thank you! And I 100% agree on your Taylor songs. Evermore got me through December 2020 in so many ways and it still does. “I Look in People’s Windows” *sounds* like Christmas wistfulness.
My favorite modern sad Christmas song is “Not This Year” by Aly & AJ, which is about being too sad and angry at Christmas to participate in holiday cheer (“the lights are cool but they burn out”). Stuck at the end of their otherwise trad and upbeat Xmas alb like a stink bomb. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qtiKwKBWm3w
Christmas Day has always been a let down because of how spectacularly the approach of Christmas is always built up. I’ve always loved that week before Christmas more than the day itself. As a kid, the anticipation could not have been greater if I knew with 100% certainty that a Messiah was actually going to be born and save the world. There’s a terrible Bob Dylan song that really best captures the psychotic pre-Christmas state of childhood best — the absolutely bizarre It Must Be Santa. He was raised Jewish (not clear what he believes now) so it’s odd that he nails that feeling for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qE6WQmNus
update: that song did NOT disappoint
I feel like this is why we need a proper return to the twelve days of Christmas starting at Christmas and ending on January 6… all that build up should last more than one day! Also I'm so excited for this terrible Bob Dylan song.…
I tried to seek out sad indie Christmas songs when I was in college. They are mostly covers. Some I still love and some grate, and I realize I do love a Christmas pop song but like you said, they’re hard to come by! On the Sabrina front I like “Is It New Year’s Yet?” which is about being sad that you’re single.
I also heard “A Nonsense Christmas” in a Happiest Season TikTok edit and it’s so catchy that I listen to it year round.
I love “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor, genuinely. She does her happy sad thing and I always get choked up at the end. “Baby baby, Merry Christmas!”
On the true melancholy front, the songs I’ve returned to are “Tracks in the Snow” by The Civil Wars (RIP)
“That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!” by Sufjan Stevens “I’m Not Really in the Christmas Mood This Year” by Foxtail Brigade “Christmas Makes Me Cry” by Kacey Musgraves “Christmas Comes Too Early” by Semler and “Merry Christmas, I’m Yours” by Brittain Ashford.
"Christmas Tree Farm" is a really solid Christmas song, I agree. Taylor has a bunch of good not Christmas Christmas songs too—"champagne problems," "tis the damn season," "I Look Through People's Windows"… but I wanted to leave her out of the post bc I feel like poor Jack's Bleachers stuff is always under the shadow of Taylor.
Not sad, but I like Nina Nesbitt's "Christmas Time Again": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XvExN3bBXE
I will be listening to the Nina song, thank you! And I 100% agree on your Taylor songs. Evermore got me through December 2020 in so many ways and it still does. “I Look in People’s Windows” *sounds* like Christmas wistfulness.
I want her to do a real Christmas album but I think that will have to wait until after TS13 😔 the EP she did when she was 16 does NOT count.
My favorite modern sad Christmas song is “Not This Year” by Aly & AJ, which is about being too sad and angry at Christmas to participate in holiday cheer (“the lights are cool but they burn out”). Stuck at the end of their otherwise trad and upbeat Xmas alb like a stink bomb. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qtiKwKBWm3w
I'd never heard this! Thank you.…