RICHMOND —
There’s something that occurs to me this time of year that has been bugging me ever since I was a little kid.
How come, once Christmas is over, are we expected to pack away all our “songs of the season” never to see the light of day again until after next Thanksgiving?
There’s a lot of beautiful, happy and sentimental songs that we could play all winter long, but over the years, they have somehow been branded “Christmas songs,” although they never mention Christmas, New Year’s or, for that matter Thanksgiving.
These songs get no airplay on the radio after the first of the year, and if people hear you humming them after January first, they either look at you like you’ve flipped out, or remind you that the season is over.
If you think about it, you know the songs I’m talking about.
Take, for instance, “Sleigh Ride.” It’s a perfectly nice and happy song about riding through the winter snow, If you look at the lyrics, you’ll find no mention of Christmas or any holiday. The closest it comes is the mention of “a birthday party at the home of Farmer Gray!”
Then, there’s “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.” Again, not a Christmas song … just a happy reflection of the season of winter.
I could go on, and will!
How about the Tony Bennett classic “Snowfall”? Even “Jingle Bells,” which has somehow become the unofficial theme of Christmas, makes no mention of any holiday? Like “Sleigh Ride,” it’s a celebration of taking a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh through the snow.
When Dean Martin croons “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” he’s making a pitch to have his girlfriend spend the night with him … Christmas or New Year’s are probably the farthest things from his mind!
Likewise, “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!” is about two lovers reluctantly parting on a winter’s night. Then, there’s Andy Williams crooning “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” (I’m detecting a theme here.)
Even the venerable “Frosty The Snowman” isn’t really a Christmas song. It’s a jolly winter fantasy for kids about a snowman that’s come to life!
Somehow “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music” got co-opted as a “Christmas song,” even though it’s not, and it’s not generally heard except for the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Likewise “Marshmallow World” and “The Skater’s Waltz” are unfairly banned (at least unofficially) from the airwaves after the holiday season, as is that old kids’ chestnut “Here Comes Suzy Snowflake,” which was always played in my hometown on the various TV stations at first snowfall. (Having grown up in Buffalo, N.Y., that could have been any time after Labor Day!)
These are just the songs that come to me off the top of my head; you can probably think of more.
What do we do about this?
Well, I, for one, would recommend making a personal play list of favorite winter songs and proudly playing them during the entire winter … even after Christmas.
Sure, it may be unconventional, but why not? There’s no reason for sweet, poignant and, yes, jolly songs about the winter to be banished with the Christmas decorations.
We need to start a quiet revolution, and restore winter songs to their rightful place on our stereos all season long!
And for you young whippersnappers who are wondering what a “stereo” is … look it up!
Viewpoints
Related Photos
-
Frank Kourt
Whither went our ‘Winter Songs?’
- Viewpoints
-
-
Graduation Day
It is that time of year again.
Some years ago, I was invited to speak at the graduation ceremonies of a liberal arts college. Later, many in the audience told me they expected a very political speech. Some of them were relieved; others were disappointed. I don't do politics at graduation.
Graduation is about life.
My high school graduation was OK. I gave a speech. My family was there, intact, probably as happy as they ever were (But did I know?). We went out for Chinese food afterward. -
Coal problem worth tackling in Washington and Frankfort
Despite hysterical cries from radical environmentalists, neither Sen. Rand Paul’s Defense of Environment and Property Act nor Sen. Mitch McConnell’s Coal Jobs Protection Act would allow activities that bring harm to Kentucky’s wildlife or waterways for the sake of propping up the coal industry.
-
Peter Perlman — Life lessons from a lawyer’s lawyer
One of the great moments of my life was sitting next to legendary Louisville attorney Frank Haddad at a luncheon when he learned he had received the first Peter Perlman Outstanding Trial Lawyer award from the Kentucky Academy of Trial Lawyers.
As they started his bio, the surprised Frank started crying like a baby. A sudden heart attack took him less than a year later. Winning the Perlman award was the crowning achievement of his career. -
Credit score insanity
Frequently, people stop me and ask me personal finance questions.
The most common is how to improve their credit history score.
If you need to improve your credit score, it means you have lousy credit. Before fixing the score, people need to ask how their credit got so bad to begin with. -
‘Tells’ about who will blow their money
Kentucky Derby week is one where gambling takes a forefront in my life. Along with the non-stop activities in my home state, I am speaking at a dinner for the Society of Settlement Professionals in Las Vegas and a film crew from Italy is flying in from Rome to interview me for a documentary about lottery winners.
-
Viewpoints change when critics gain power
Scandals like those roiling Washington often look more or less nefarious as time and facts unfold. After all, what at first looked like a third-rate burglary turned into Watergate.
I doubt the scandals around Benghazi, the IRS and subpoenas of Associated Press phone records reach Watergate status — but we must await more information and time to know. -
Trouble’s last ride
When announcing my retirement, I made reference to letting “Trouble” having one last ride.
-
Going from school to work requires preparation, faith
(Editor’s Note: After graduating from EKU on Saturday, Seth Littrell came to work Monday at the Richmond Register as a reporter/photographer.)
This past Saturday weekend I graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with my bachelor’s in journalism.
It was the single goal I had been working toward for the past four years, and as I walked across that stage I realized I was the first person in my family to do so. -
Report on former EKU Center for the Arts director called 'biased, unfair'
I am writing in response to the Richmond Register’s May 3, 2013, article concerning the former Executive Director of the EKU Center for the Arts. The article I reference appeared on the front page of your newspaper with the headline “Sexual harassment, other offenses alleged in Hoskin’s records in 740 pages of documents.”
-
Recognizing those who provide care
How fitting it is that the beginning of National Nursing Home Week is Mother’s Day, May 12.
- More Viewpoints Headlines
-
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Raw: 80-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest
Wash. State Man Arrested Following Ricin Scare
Chain-Reaction School Bus Crash Injures About 50
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness
New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season
Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
Okla. Teens Get Video of Deadly Tornado Overhead
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
9-year-old Tornado Victim Loved Family, Singing
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
