Six Tunes: To Spice Up Your Christmas Playlist

BY RACHEL FIELDHOUSE

Despite it only just hitting November, the Christmas decorations and advertising has already reared its ugly head. Whether you love or hate the holiday in question, listening to the same tunes year after year – we’re looking at you Mariah and Bublé – can be pretty tiresome. To counter the holiday classics that are soon to be played everywhere, we’ve put together this list of unusual (and sometimes anti) Christmas tunes to help you get through the lead-up to December 25th. 

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic – ‘Christmas at Ground Zero’

With the chaos that has been in 2020, ‘Christmas at Ground Zero’ has the right vibe. While the tune has an upbeat, classic Christmas sound, it’s contrasted against the lyrics (which detail celebrating Christmas while surviving a nuclear holocaust) and air raid sirens to give a real sense of unease. Plus there is a sweet baritone sax riff that adds a jazzy flavour. If this type of tune tickles your fancy, you’d be remiss to not check out Yankovic’s ‘The Night Santa Went Crazy.

Sufjan Stevens – ‘Christmas Unicorn’ 

For a Christmas tune on the wackier side of things, ‘Christmas Unicorn’ should be right up your alley. Starting off with a quiet, folksy sound, it slowly adds more electronic motifs before reaching a complete transformation into a fast-paced electronica epic, complete with Christmas bells. Plus, the lyrics are highly whimsical, exploring the celebration of Christmas through the metaphor of a Christmas unicorn.

The Killers – ‘Don’t Shoot Me Santa’

While The Killers are better known for their rock sound than for making holiday music, ‘Don’t Shoot Me Santa’ blends the two to make a pretty catchy tune. The grim lyrics, featuring a dialogue between lead singer Brandon Flowers and Santa (aka Rian Pardey), are offset by the light-hearted rhythms and piano. 

The Rat Pack – ‘A Christmas Waltz’

Featuring Sinatra’s crooning vocals, ‘A Christmas Waltz’ has a jazzy sound that’s warm, wintery, and a perfect addition to any Chrissy playlist (and it’s an actual waltz). While the lyrics evoke the imagery of classic carols, the tune stays fresh with dreamy choral lines, festive percussion, and a full orchestral accompaniment. 

The Kinks – ‘Father Christmas’ 

Looking for something a bit more deep? Have a listen to this cynical song from The Kinks disguises a class-commentary as a punk Christmas song. Starting off with festive sleigh bells and a twinkling piano intro, ‘Father Christmas’ quickly adopts a pop-rock guitar-heavy sound that better suits the mugging of Santa by kids wanting cash instead of useless presents that the lyrics describe.

Elmo & Patsy – ‘Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer’

0Country fans, rejoice, this tune is for you. The rolling beat and backing vocals give the tune its merry mood that’s perfect for the holidays. It’s the lyrics, recounting the fallout following the death of a grandma at the hands of Saint Nick and his reindeer on Christmas Eve, that give the song its outrageous and joking vibe.