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It's been a long time since I've posted anything, but with school, cross country, and (lack of) time and sleep, I had to keep my priorities straight! Well, as straight as I could manage, still not doing so well in that area. However, I was busy to say the least. There are so many good things I wanted to share along the way, so I will whenever I get a chance.
For December, I squeezed in two articles for Tennessee Health & Wellness. These were not only "jobs," for me, but they were also an enjoyable activity. In the midst of preparing for projects and finals, I was able to do some Christmas celebrating in researching and writing these articles. This first one I'll share is about some of the top Christmas songs, history and fun facts. Short and sweet but interesting nonetheless!
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This time of year, whether you are in your car, watching TV,
or in a store, Christmas music is sure to be heard. There are new songs and
remakes that come out, but there is no beating the classics. While we may know
the lyrics to these songs by heart, it is unlikely that we know the stories
behind them. See if you knew the backgrounds of these ten holiday
chart-toppers.
Jingle Bells was
originally written by JP Morgan’s uncle, who was not a very cheery man himself,
as he left his family multiple times and enlisted in the Georgia cavalry. The
song was first performed in blackface. It was issued under the name “One Horse
Open Sleigh,” and it was not written as a Christmas song, but rather
Thanksgiving. Jingles Bells is also the first song broadcast from space on
Gemini 6 on December 16, 1965.
Little Drummer Boy
is a parallel to the Bible story of Jesus’s birth and an encouragement to
people that no matter what they have, their gift to God is enough. Though there
was no real drummer boy in the Bible story, it gives perspective of people
visiting young Jesus with no gifts worthy of a King. Due to the repetition of
“pa rum pum pump um,” it was originally called “Carol of the Drums.”
Oh Christmas Tree,
aka O Tannenbaum, is a German carol dating back to the 1500s. “Tannen” is the
word for fir, but most trees today are spruce. In translation, the first
written lyrics come out roughly as, “Oh pine tree, you’re a noble twig! You
greet us in the winter, the dear summer time.” The song is about acknowledging
life of the evergreen tree year-round rather than how we now decorate them at
Christmas.
Silent Night is
another German song coming from a slightly unfortunate event of some actors
traveling across the Austrian Alps to reenact the story of Jesus’s birth. The
organ of one church they were scheduled at did not have a working organ at the
time, so they moved the drama to a home. Following the show, one audience
member took a peaceful walk home, remembering the words of a poem he had
written a few years before. He decided it would be perfectly fitting for the
congregation at the Christmas Eve service, where the organ was not missed as
they embraced the beauty of the “silent night.”
Bing Crosby’s version of White Christmas holds claim to the best-selling Christmas song of
all time. It already has a sad sound, but it’s first airing was also only weeks
after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The composer Irving Berlin (also behind “God
Bless America”) was a Russian Immigrant and Jewish, so he did not celebrate
Christmas. Possibly the most sad part of the story is that he wrote the song in
memory of his three-year-old son who had died on Christmas Day. The song still
brings up nostalgia with people today.
Blue Christmas,
another color, another sad theme, was a hit no one expected. Elvis and many
others in his recording industry, thought it would fail, and he almost refused
to do it. Many others have since recorded the song, including (ironically) the
Beach Boys, but Elvis’s version leads the way.
Santa Baby was
actually written in majority by a man, and he still doesn’t really like the
song himself. He did not know how he was going to complete such a task as
writing a “sexy” Christmas song for icon of the time, Eartha Kitt. After her
recording in 1953, it was banned in several states for being such a scandalous
turn from the norm in those days.
Feliz Navidad is
only made up of 20 words in English and Spanish, but it is one of the most
heartfelt carols sung today. Puerto Rican musician Jose Feliciano decided to
include English lyrics because he knew that if it was only Spanish, American
stations wouldn’t play it. Feliciano leads his audiences in celebration with
his heart for dancing, even though he is blind and can’t see them.
The song most would recognize from “A Charlie Brown
Christmas,” Christmas Time is Here
by the Vince Guaraldi Trio was first sung by the children’s choir of St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church in 1965. The song originated as part of the Peanuts story, but
it was assumed the show would only last once or twice. Little did they know the
big impact the song and show would have on future generations. Lee Mendelson,
producer of the show and recruiter of Guaraldi, says, “Those children’s voices
will likely outlive all of us, meaning something different and something sadly
wonderfully the same with every passing year.”
While “Joy to the
World” can be found on Christmas-related products left and right, the song
was not written about Christmas. Isaac Watts wrote this song about Jesus’s
second coming. In comparing the lyrics to scripture, it is obvious to see the
differences between the first and second coming. For example, when Jesus was
born, the world did not accept Him, but with the song and the story of the
second coming, heaven and earth both sing in praise of His return. Beyond the
religious realm, it has been sung by many secular artists including Moriah
Carrey and is even referenced in “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog” by Hoyt-Axton.
As you deck the halls with these Christmas classics, take a
moment to think about what the words mean to you and your life during the
holidays.
