Deck the jingle bell rockin' around the O Christmas Tree

I like Christmas music. I'm not a fan that at the very second Hallowe'en's last "Tick-or-treat" is uttered, the fa-la-la-la-las start in earnest. But for the most part, I enjoy the songs that this time of the season inspires.

But there is one song that needs to be packed up in a weighted box, and dropped into that supposed bottomless lake somewhere in Russia, so it may never make our ears bleed again.

I am, of course talking about the Christmas Shoes song. If you've never heard it, don't google it, Youtube it, or look it up in any way. You will have it stuck in you head for the rest of the year, if not for the rest of your life.

It has all the makings of a classic bad song; saccharine-sweet and sung from the point of view of someone who isn't in the "Christmas spirit". There's a little boy (who was dirty head to toe - his words, not mine) in line in front of him at the store. Said boy is buying a present (the Christmas shoes) for his Mama, but doesn't have enough money. Said boy's Mama is dying (either that or she's in tight with the Big Guy upstairs, because in the song, she might "meet Jesus tonight"). The singer's heart grows three sizes bigger as he plunks the money down for the shoes, and he suddenly remembers what this time of year is all about. Yes people, it's a song with a lesson.

When a story has a lesson, it's called a fable. Does that make this a sable? (song+fable=... aw, forget it, it wasn't that funny anyway)

Then, at the very end, a choir of children start singing the chorus. I don't have anything against children singing, per se, I just hate it when it's tacked onto the end of a song for the "pulling-at-your-heartstrings" effect. Bleh.

You're probably saying to yourself right now, "wow, what a cold, cold-hearted person. We should throw her into that bottomless lake in Russia."

But just because I can't stand songs that make you chubby because they are so over-the-top sweet, doesn't mean I don't have a heart. O Holy Night makes me have to pinch my arm to keep from crying every time I hear it.

And THIS version... well, it makes me cry in a whole 'nutha way.



Merry Christmas everyone!

Best version of "O Holy Night" - EVER!

I guarantee it will bring tears to your eyes. See if I'm lying.



Make sure you listen all the way to the end... it just keeps getting better, if that's at all possible.

These are a few of my favourite things: Musical Edition

As a Mom of a toddler, I don't really get to hear what's new in the world of music these days. The only place I really get to listen to music is in the car and even then I'm either bopping along to some Raffi, or trying to drown out Elise's I-want-out-of-this carseat-now screams with talk radio. I've also never found a station here that suits my rather eclectic taste in music.

I do have an I Pod, and I listen to it in the car whenever I remember to bring it with me - which is never. But if you were to browse through all the artists I have on there, you would easily be able to tell that my favourite band is, by far, the Hothouse Flowers.

It's okay if you haven't heard of them, or their name only rings a very faint bell. One of the things I love about them is the fact they fly under the musical radar. They've been together forever (or 1985 to be more precise), and started out busking on the streets on Dublin. Some of the faces have changed over the years, but Liam (lead singer) and Fiachna (guitar), who have known each other since childhood, have remain the constants in the band. You can read more about the band here.

A friend once asked me what it is about these guys that I love so much, and I had a hard time answering that question. Mostly because the list is long. Part of it is they are amazing musicians and put on an incredible show. Their love for what they do is so obvious up on stage. Liam plays a collection of instruments including bodhran (Irish drum), and the didgeridoo. Both Liam and Fiachna speak and sing in Gaelic.

They are also wonderful people. I've had the chance to get to know them a bit, and even hang out with them, and the way they treat their fans makes me love them even more. The last time I got to see them was on my birthday in 2006. Fred and I were in NYC, and the Flowers were doing a boat cruise that night. I had seem them about a month prior and had mentioned that Fred and I were going to come to New York to see them for my birthday.

Well, they had retained to bit of knowledge and about 15 minutes into their first set, they announced to the crowd that it was my birthday and had the entire boat sing Happy Birthday. Best. Birthday. Ever.

But most of all, it's their music. Their style cannot be put into a box. You could classify them as rock/pop, but they are so much more. Their sound is infused with soul, gospel and traditional Irish music. Whatever it is; it makes me happy. It soothes me. It nourishes my soul, and the lyrics sometimes feel like they were written just for me.

Why, you ask, am I blabbering on like an idiot about my favourite band? Only because Fred, Elise and I are going to see them in Kansas City at the KC Irish Festival! I can't wait to introduce Elise to them. Her middle name, Rian, is the name of Liam's first solo album.

Anyway, if you're looking for me on September 5th or 6th, I'll be grooving to some amazing music with my husband and little girl. Come join me if you're in the area!

Speaking of Music

Can somebody please tell me why I woke this morning up with the song, "Let's Hear it for the Boy" in my head? It won't go away and I think it just might be killing me.

Whoa, maybe he's no romeo

But he's my lovin one-man show

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa

Let's hear it for the boy

And now it's in YOUR head. Why should I suffer alone?

I know, I'm such a giver.

Listen to the Music

My daughter is now at the age where she considers herself to be quite the connoisseur of music. The girl adores any and all audio entertainment, and loves to groove. Especially in the car where she's become very vocal about it. As soon as I get into the car, after putting her in her car seat, she says, "more, more, more, more." Which means, "Dear Mother, would you be so kind as to depress the button that starts the melodious harmonies that entertain me so? I would be ever so grateful." Like Fred, my daughter also has a British accent in my head.

I've tried to trick her, and play my Ipod from time to time. For some reason, she likes my tunes at home, but if I try this in the car, her response is, "Nooooooo.... more, more, more, more?" If I try to ignore her, she just gets louder and more whiny.

So we've stocked up on CDs of (very annoying) children's songs. I did buy the Barenaked Ladies "Snacktime" CD, and she'll tolerate it to a degree, but nothing resonates with her like "Down By the Bay", or "B-I-N-G-O". I've also thought about buying the "They Might be Giants" children's CDs, but I'm a little unsure of how they differ from regular TMBG stuff. Having said that, I don't think you can ever go wrong with They Might Be Giants.

Elise is especially fond of a CD of Portuguese songs that was sent to us by a friend of Fred's. There's one song about an owl that she loves and asks for it by hooting. I now know pretty much all the lyrics to these songs, but have nary an idea what I'm singing about.

The songs I do understand the lyrics to, well... have you ever noticed that children's songs are a bit weird? Have you ever really listened to them? Take "Frog went A-Courtin'". According to this song, Mr. Frog, packing a firearm and a sword, went riding over to Miss Mouse's house (where he had often been before - hmmm, what does THAT mean?). The frog, wants to marry the mouse, but she can't until she asks her Uncle Rat (what kind of screwed up family tree is this?) for permission.

Apparently, Uncle Rat is down with this and goes off to by his niece a wedding dress. I'm not sure what woman in her right mind would trust a guy with this task, but whatever. The happy couple decide to wed in a hollow tree (who needs a beach in Hawaii when you've got a decaying stump, am I right?), and the guest list includes; a moth, a jig-dancing flea, a fiddle-playing bumble bee, and a cow that can't dance. Anyone else wonder why this last guest is about 100 times bigger than everybody else?

So the frog decides to get married naked, because the song tells us he was dressed in green. That would be like Fred waiting at the alter to marry me in a flesh-coloured tuxedo. Just... weird. The odd couple get married by a bird, there's singing and dancing and then they jet off to France to honeymoon. I guess frogs and mice aren't on the no-fly list.

Seriously, the whole song is like a really bad acid trip. Well, since I've never done drugs, it's what I think an acid trip would be like. But alas, my daughter likes it, so Frog will be a-courtin' in my car for many years to come. Uh-huh.