Category Archives: Christmas Songs

Christmas songs, including classics, contemporary tunes, and originals!

“Must Be Santa” (Bob Dylan / Christmas Cover)

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For Christmas songs chords & lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

It’s official: the Christmas season is upon us yet again!  I, for one, found it difficult to concentrate on the work I brought home this weekend, choosing instead to listen to Christmas music — specifically that on Bob Dylan’s new 2009 holiday album Christmas in the Heart (see my review here!) — and playing some of my favorite seasonal songs on acoustic guitar.  One of my new favorites is a song written by Hal Moore and Bill Fredricks titled “Must Be Santa.”

Now, before you get too excited, I should begin by making it very clear that tonight I am covering Bob Dylan’s rendition of “Must Be Santa” and NOT the performance “popularized” by Mr. Music and the Cool Kids Chorus.

Please don’t be disappointed…

Seriously, though, if you would like to hear that rocking version, you’ll just have to download it for yourself.  Or the versions by Mitch Miller, Raffi, Point Sebago Resort, Glen Burtnik, Miss Lisa, Miss Molly, The Friel Brothers, The Angel Choir, The Holly Players Orchestra, The Hit Crew, Mary Lambert, Bob McGrath, Kids Sing’n, the Pokemon Christmas Bash band, or Lorne Greene with the Jimmy Joyce Children’s Choir — good luck finding that last one.

If you’re craving a good polka, then don’t miss out on the Brave Combo version (which, ironically, is the closest in style and arrangement to Dylan’s).

And who could forget the Kids Rap’n the Christmas Hits version?

These cover songs range from boring to funny to vomit-inducing and back again.  This brings me to the Bob Dylan version, which is a breath of fresh air when played beside these other covers.  Dylan’s “Must Be Santa” is a frantic, polka-inspired three minutes of Christmas spirit, accordions, and bright choral vocals built up around Dylan’s gruff lead.  Recorded nearly half a century after Mitch Miller first recorded the song in 1961, it is interesting to see how our image of Santa and the general sound and style of Christmas music (i.e. both sets of chord changes as the song progresses a la so many other seasonal favorites) really haven’t changed much in all this time.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Dylan’s album — and his recent work in general — is an homage to a simpler time in American popular music.

That is perhaps why Dylan’s new album, time-ravaged vocals and all, has slipped in so quickly among my favorite Christmas albums of all time.  Although it was recorded earlier this year, there is a sense of nostalgia and even timelessness in each of its tracks.  Somehow, he has managed to record the songs in a style that seems very natural from his current studio band.  Indeed, Dylan has seemingly reached further and further into the past for the styles of his past several albums.  In this sense, 2009 was the ideal year for him to record an album of traditional favorites and holiday songs from earlier in the century.

I don’t think any music will ever usurp the positions that The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album and the Moody Blues’ December currently hold in my heart.  The Barenaked Ladies’ Barenaked for the Holidays, Brian Wilson’s What I Really Want For Christmas, and America’s Harmony are certainly the next runners up.  Some of my attachment to this music is admittedly due to my own personal memories, such as listening to the Beach Boys each year as my family decorated the tree and attending a Moody Blues Christmas concert with two of my dearest friends several years ago.  That being said, there is also a universal element to the music on these records that I can’t imagine any fan of rock music being able to deny.  Somehow, these aforementioned bands have managed to incorporate religious hymns, classic rock Christmas songs, and originals into unified works that I look forward to dusting off each and every year.

For now, I’m wading into the music of season via this new Dylan album.  After all, this is the punchline of a joke I’ve been making for as many years as I’ve loved Bob Dylan — “Imagine if Dylan recorded a Christmas album!”  My friends and I would laugh, but I was always privately jealous that their favorite bands — the Beach Boys, the Moody Blues, etc. — had recorded Christmas albums or at least a Christmas song or two.

Now, I have my secret wish, and I couldn’t be happier!

Yes, Dylan’s voice is rugged, and truth be told, I was a bit hesitant to embrace this album when I gave it one listen upon its release a month ago.  However, it only took a second listen for me to get hooked.

Whatever music you may enjoy listening to at this time of the year, I hope you’re enjoying it, and I hope you’ll come back throughout the week for Jim’s music video tomorrow, a guest session(!) on Friday, and another installment of Weekend Review.

See you next session!

“Moment” by Chris Moore – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

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“Moment”
Chris Moore

F
They say you’re coming around to this cold New England town.
Well, that don’t mean much to them, but that sure means a lot to me.
G
You’ve seen many parts of the world, reporting on the Vietnamese.
All I want to see today is you in your red and green Christmas fleece.

G
Strange things have happened to me on these snowy Christmas eves…

They say you’re coming around, but they don’t say anything else.
Don’t leave me here in the dark; please lead me out in the cold.
Let me know that you’re coming for sure. (I’d wait forever for her.)
By now, you know that you’re the type of a girl who rocks the world
of a guy in a rural town.

Strange things are happening to me on this snowy Christmas eve…

E                                       D
You don’t need a blanket, and you don’t need a bed.
E                                                                     G
If all you’ve got’s my shoulder, baby, you can rest your head.

G                                        C
Remember last Christmas, building the tree,
G                                       C7
Lying under the branches, just you and me?
We were talking about Jesus, defining the Holy Ghost,
Wondering where our senses of humor went when we needed them most.

You don’t need a blanket, and you don’t need a bed.
If all you’ve got’s my shoulder, baby, you can rest your head.

I attended a Thursday mass in the center of town.
Looking out for your big, bright cathedral eyes.
I was always the one who tries, and you were the one.
And I in my sport coat, and you in your dress — we knew it was best…

INSTRUMENTAL (over G – C – G – C7)

G
Hay was all they had in the manger,

E
Hay was all that Mary had.
But that didn’t matter none to Mary ’cause

C
Mary had Joseph to share each and every

Cmin
Moment…

“Moment” (Chris Moore Original)

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For Chris Moore chords & lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

Good evening and welcome to what has become a Christmas tradition for me here at the Laptop Sessions.  Each year since 2007, I have posted one yuletide original during the month of December.  Last year, I wrote and recorded a song on Christmas eve, so this year I wanted to post another on the last Original Wednesday before Christmas Eve.

This year’s selection is one I wrote years ago and was first included on the Chris, Jim, and Mike holiday album Our Christmas Gift to You.  To be honest, I don’t remember exactly when I wrote this song, but I certainly remember my first recording.  I had never recorded using a multi-track mixer, so Mike lent me one that he had inherited from a local photographer.  In its day, it had been a really nice system.  Unfortunately, some of the controls were off and there were certain tracks that would become spliced together — I’m not sure how else to describe this.  Essentially, I couldn’t lower or raise the volume on one track without another following it.

That being said, it felt like Mike was handing me a portable professional studio!

I rushed home late from Mike and Jim’s house that night, quietly snuck into my house (my parents were fast asleep), and set up in the small bathroom in the basement.  After about twenty minutes of silent trips up to my bedroom, the mixer had been set up on the toilet, the microphone stands near the shower, the keyboard by the towel rack, and I was sitting on my stool with my back against the sink.

And yes, I am holding myself back from making the obvious stool/bathroom pun here…

The version I recorded that night was quiet and a bit sloppy, but it really wasn’t as sloppy as it should have been for my first recording.  To be certain, many songs that I would record later on more reliable equipment seemed, at least to me, to be inferior to the overall feel of my first “Moment.”

The next version that I recorded was for the November 25, 2004 release of Our Christmas Gift to You.  I felt very much like the rawer, indie cousin of my future bandmates, as my two songs weren’t as fully produced as Jim and Mike’s were.  Still, it felt — and still feels! — exciting and, to be honest, like an honor to hear “Christmas Cards” and “Moment” alongside some of my all-time favorite Christmas originals, like “The First Snow” and “Christmas Evening.”

Although “Moment” sounds very quirky and I salivate just thinking about a day in the future when I might re-record it with a minimalist drum kit keeping time, I always liked it (and, of course, I’ll always have the MoU Christmas Concert 2006 CD to hold me over…).  “Moment” is one of those songs that makes me feel something when I listen to it.  Even now, years and years after writing it, I remember exactly how I felt the day I wrote it.  It’s like being able to pick up a guitar or put on a CD and go back in time to the end of high school/beginning of college.  As you’ll hear, it’s a song about a person who has just learned that the love of his life is returning to town after being away for a year, ostensibly as a journalist overseas.  The narrator hasn’t heard from the person, only rumors, and is frustrated that no one seems to understand how important this news is to him.  As the song continues, we get some flashbacks to the previous Christmas and a vague but satisfying real-time encounter set during a Christmas eve church service.  The final line explains the title: “Hay was all they had in the manger — hay was all that Mary had; but that didn’t matter none to Mary ’cause Mary had Joseph to share each and every moment…”

If you’ve ever found yourself at Christmastime, connected to what used to be close friends merely by rumor and third-hand report, then you’ll understand where this song is coming from.  For this recording, I tried to harken back to my first off-the-cuff, essentially one-take recording by staying in my pajamas and simply playing it once to rehearse it before hitting the “record” button.

The result?  My third Original Wednesday post on the eve of Christmas.

The problem?  I’m fresh out of original Christmas songs for next year…

I’ll just have to hope inspiration strikes before then!

Merry Christmas, and I’ll see you next session!

Christmas Albums and Songs Are Almost Here- A Complete Rundown of My Favorites

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By Jim Fusco:

I love traditions.  If there’s one thing you must learn about me, it’s that.  I get unreasonably upset when someone tries to break my time-honored traditions.  So, every year, I painfully wait until the day after Thanksgiving to listen to Christmas music.  And, if you must learn a second thing about me, it’s that I LOVE Christmas music.  Christmas songs are synonymous with family traditions.  And here, I will give you a good rundown of all my favorite Christmas albums and songs, plus a little section on why I love Christmas music so much.

How Can Someone Love Christmas Music So Much?

Many people I talk to really don’t like Christmas music all that much, especially around December 26th.  But, I have a few reasons why I love it so much.  First, I make sure that I do not listen to any Christmas songs at all before the day after Thanksgiving.  Why?  Because it’s more special that way.  I don’t get sick of Christmas music because I refuse to get into the spirit too early (like in October, as you see in all the malls).  So, when the day after Thanksgiving comes and I get up super-early for those amazing sales, I’m all too giddy to play my first Christmas song of the season.  And by January 1st, I’m usually pretty bummed about the fact that I have to wait another 11 months to hear my favorite tunes again.

Another thing I love about Christmas music: for the most part, they’re all happy!  And even if they’re not happy (like Nat King Cole’s “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot”), they have hope.  After listing to that song, I can only imagine that the “little boy”‘s mother re-marries and that boy has some happy Christmases ahead.  I really don’t like sad songs.  I mean, when I listen to music, I want to feel good.  Give me a song about keeping the summer alive and a good guitar solo and I’m a happy person.  And the innocence that you hear when the Beach Boys sing on their Christmas album- no drugs, no craziness, just kids singing and playing some really joyful tunes.  You can’t listen to “The Beach Boys Christmas Album” without a smile on your face.

Christmas music is also timeless.  It’s the one genre of music that crosses all style and age boundaries.  You’ll hear teenagers singing to Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” and you’ll hear my parents rocking-out to “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band-Aid.  What a season…

So, now you have some insight as to why I love Christmas music so much.  But, you may be wondering- with all the Christmas albums and songs out there, what’s any good?  Well, I’m taking a big leap here and making a Top 10 list of each of my favorite Christmas songs and Christmas-themed albums.  It’s going to be tough, but here it goes:

Jim Fusco’s Top 10 Christmas Songs:

  1. The Little Saint Nick- The Beach Boys: Even though I love the song at #2, this classic Beach Boys tune gets the top prize.  It even won “Best Original Christmas Song” on our radio station, WCJM.  The tune to this song is great, the harmonies are tight, and Mike Love’s vocals are spot-on.  The instrumentation is sparse (it’s actually the Beach Boys playing the instruments), but that makes me love it more- it’s truly a band effort.  And, I have inside information proving that Brian actually wrote the lyrics!
  2. Santa Claus Is Back In Town- Elvis Presley: Hands-down, this is the coolest Christmas song ever.  Over 50 years later, and this song still rocks.  The groove, Elvis’ lead, the Jordanaires backing vocals, and that amazing piano solo prove that this song was ahead of its time.  This is not only one of my favorite Christmas songs, but one of my favorite all-around songs, as well.
  3. Baby Please Come Home- Darlene Love: The Phil Spector Christmas Album (“A Christmas Gift For You”) is an amazing album, as you’ll see it in my Top 10 list of best Christmas albums below.  I love many of the songs on that record, but the final song, “Baby Please Come Home”, just wraps it all up (no pun intended).  Darlene’s soaring vocals and that classic Spector production give me chills every time I hear it.
  4. Don’t Need A Reindeer- The Moody Blues: I know, you’ve never heard of this song.  But, trust me- you’re missing out.  Off of their Christmas album from just a few years ago, this song has everything I love: a great tune, a good beat, great vocals, and a happy message.  Please, do yourself a favor and buy a copy of this song!
  5. Merry Christmas Darling- The Carpenters: Most people who know my musical tastes know that I’m not the biggest fan of female singers.  But, you’ll notice that there are three songs sung by women on this list!  And, again, that’s what makes Christmas music so amazing- it crosses all boundaries of musical styles.  In this case, I LOVE Karen Carpenter’s voice.  She doesn’t do too much.  The chords are great in this song, too.  Why isn’t it #1?  One word: “Christmas-ing”.
  6. Elf’s Lament- Barenaked Ladies: Okay, I’ll admit that I wanted to put “Footprints” here, but that’s a sad song, albeit great.  Anyway, “Elf’s Lament” is such a fun song and gets you in the spirit very quickly.
  7. On Christmas Day- Brian Wilson: I can’t tell you why I love this song so much.  But, it’s just got a great tune, great vocals, and interesting chord changes.  Brian sounds so young in this recording, even though he was in his mid-sixties.  I wonder if anyone else notices the striking similarities between this song and “Bells of Paris” from M.I.U.?
  8. Winter Holidays- America: Dewey Bunnell has such a gift of combining crazy inversions of chords and coming up with some off-beat songs.  This Christmas tune is a not only a nice song, but gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling at the same time.
  9. Hey Santa!- Carnie & Wendy Wilson: Why is this song on the list?  Well, the late-80’s cameo by Carl Wilson was certainly a factor.  The ending of this song is so great.  This is another example of women who don’t do too much with their vocals- they just sing the song.  And even though this song gets a bad rep, you still gotta admit it’s a catchy tune.
  10. Run Rudolph Run- Chuck Berry: I don’t so much love this recording (Chuck sounds like he’s really phoning-it-in on this record), but I love the song.  It’s classic Chuck Berry style and has some pretty nifty guitar work going on.  I really started loving this song once we played it in concert and I got to do the nifty guitar work!

Jim Fusco’s Top 10 Christmas Albums of All Time:

  1. Elvis Presley’s Christmas Album (1957- recorded in two days and only 6 songs, but man, this album rules)
  2. The Beach Boys Christmas Album (everything from Al’s first lead vocal to Brian’s first solo performance)
  3. A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector
  4. Holiday Harmony- America
  5. Barenaked For the Holidays- Barenaked Ladies
  6. December- The Moody Blues
  7. What I Really Want for Christmas- Brian Wilson
  8. Our Christmas Gift To You- Chris, Jim, and Mike (that’s US!)
  9. What’s It Gonna Be, Santa?- Chicago
  10. I Wanna Be Santa Claus- Ringo Starr

I hope you’ve enjoyed my commentary and my lists.  I hope to edit these as the holiday season goes on- remember, I’m doing this from memory, as I haven’t listened to any Christmas music yet this year!  So, I’ll update the post as I see fit.  Who knows, maybe Dylan’s new Christmas album will make the list!  Yeah, and I hear Elvis is coming back to life this year, too… 🙂