Category Archives: Uncategorized

Star of Bethlehem

According to The Gospel of Matthew, the Nativity was backlit by a moving miracle. The star in the East drew the Magi, but not Herod, who was looking to murder prophecied Messiahs. And stars are a great symbol (pentagrams include all five elements, cf. Bruce Willis). And they’re pretty when you don’t have so much urban light pollution. (It’s a miracle to see any stars anymore.)

[Sidebar: “Star of Bethlehem” is such a symbol, Neil Young sings about needing help to get through a bad breakup in 1974. So, not so much Jesus.]

[Besidebar: German experimental band Can pinballed the weird folkrock “Little Star of Bethlehem,” but heavens if i can tell you what it’s about. Drugtrip for Froggie and Toadie?]

The “Star of Bethlehem” will show the way, according to the popified country from Danielle Rose. Yeah, it’s gonna be pretty Christian this month.

The Children’s Chorus sings “Star of Bethlehem” in the ‘Home Alone’ movie. Yeah, that’s John Williams’s churchy music. Lots of good stuff from this star: filling with hope, viewing with love, bettering our hearts, making us wiser. Star power activate.

Heaven Bells

When Heaven rings bells, it must be some kinder big deal. Thus, “Ding Dong Merrily on High.” This was an early 20th Century carol from one of those carol books the kids were always reading under the desks at school. Set to a really old dance tune, it has that ‘O’ part that goes up and down and up and down for people who like lots of notes but not so many words.

The music is nice filler for the background of some holiday party, but i couldn’t tell you who has a hit record of it–it’s that sacred. Roger Whittaker does his best to fool around with it, but it’s bells to God. And okay, there are lots of Celtic goes at it, a couple with bagpipes… which really makes a churchgoer sit and check his watch.

Let’s leave it to grunge masters I Don’t Know Margo to honor this hymn in their own garage way. Get me outta here.

At this point we gotta admit, sometimes the bells are TOO MUCH. “Christmas Bells” from the cast of ‘Rent’ documents the overexposure of marginalia instead of goodness and spirit during the season. Bells aren’t the topic, but the gateway into a mishmash of jazz atonal showpiece musical parts. Enjoy.

EX-Mas: the D word

Had enough? Time for the courts to get involved? You’ve been served.

Servo’s “Christmas Divorce” is jumpin’ ‘billy garage hotness which i suspect is slightly holiday themed.

Such a cool irony, it’s now an improv sketch. Painful Whispers treat us to an off the cuff sort-of folk song “Christmas Divorce.”

Trey Stone & The Ringers bring it home with “I Want a Divorce for Christmas,” an Elvis-inspired rock cacophony of woe and badly baked cookies.

Parodies’ Paradise: “Don’t Stop Believin'”

American rock band Journey originally released this as the second single from their seventh album… number 9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100… in the United Kingdom a Top 40 hit on its original release; however, it reached number 6 in 2009… the best-selling digital track from the 20th century with over 7 million copies sold in the United States. Oddly, the refrain only happens in the last 50 seconds of the song.

Something Awful Christmas unloads a compilation of donated oddnesses every year. 2009 heralded a fine parody: “Don’t Stop Believin’ (In Santa Claus).” Cue Michele Lea.