Year-round Yuletide oddities
We want to keep merry and bright during the holidays so we keep looking for that MASH smart aleck-ness of those over seas horsin’ around.
Look no further. Zack Applewhite has sent home a parody-song letter that might be funny. Welcome to the “U.S. Marine Parody of ‘Up on the Housetop.'” Ha ha, it’s sandy over there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61bPptqRyz8
Most of the Xmas songs for soldiers are weepy numbers about little children missing Daddy (and Mommy) serving their country. It’s helped make us great.
Big Daddy Weave cleans up here with “I’ll Be Brave this Christmas.” Standard CW fare. But i’m not sure about pairing tank fire shots with invocation of JC’s name.
The Song Trust trowels it on with “Bring Him Home Santa.” The kid don’t want no gifts–only Daddy! C’mon, Santa. God didn’t answer my calls!
Did i saw Mommies too? Bernie Williams sings country about crying without and dancing with Mom. So, he says in “Santa I’m Writing This Letter.” By the way, his wish for his solja mama matters more than other kids’ wishes.
This is not a new notion, Vera Lynn sings us a story about the WWII era little boy who tells her “I’m Sending a Letter to Santa Claus.” Same old story, big band glory.
With the explosion of the web, amateur and independent songs decorate our Xmas trees, especially from far away.
Mostly these carols are about not being home. That’s the American Way (variously: you can’t make it home, you don’t want to put up with those at home, you don’t have a home).
Josh Logan digs deep country for “A Soldier’s Christmas Day Prayer.” Tough god-fearing hombres, but too much want-to-be-home to make me trust the guys in this song.
Master Sgt. Robt. Allen sings about missing his missus over the Christmas break. He bangs on the guitar filk singing style (endlessly). But he means it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWBjHqOH_d4&spfreload=10
We’re getting divisive here, another grand tradition ‘mongst us. But that’s not our theme this month. So let’s leave off all the political sniping, the racism, sexism, ageism, weightism, heightism, classism (yes, virginia, there’s christmas songs for all haters, yo), and come together kumbaya.
Pat Benatar rallies the downtrodden with her “Christmas in America.” It’s extremely light rock, like seventy-year-old.
The Vietnam War brought out Americans’ outspoken freedom of speech, Americans’ ruthless passion for ideals, Americans’ noncompromising polarization, and Americans’ (eventual) potential for limitless brotherhood and devotion to one another as a people.
During the struggle, our songs reflected our nation’s soul, especially honorin’ The Holiday.
The Soul Searchers’ “Christmas in Vietnam” is soulful soul, poignant piety, and brotherhood. Yeah, that means sad.
Pvt. Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen from Tigerland also add soul to “Christmas in Vietnam.” It’s got a bit more motown drive to it, though.
Dumb ol’ country hick singing from Jack Cardwell makes “Christmas in Vietnam” ironically morose. Keep the Kleenex (and a thank-you note) nearby. The Sullivan Family add a high-stepping beat to their version of this tune.
Hey you–i’m talking to you: there’s a Gee Dee reason for this war even over Christmas. If you need an update, hearken to Rusty Wellington explaining dominos to you in “No Christmas Tree in Vietnam.” Country condescension.
Derrik Roberts adds sfx and girl backups to “There Won’t Be Any Snow (Christmas in the Jungle).” It’s spoken word jazz that falls flat (despite the ‘twist’ ending).
This is a fair sampling, but should you want to follow the expert trail, subscribe to The Vietnam War Song Project. It’s not just Christmas over there.
Let’s get back to music. Johnny and Jon harmonize so soulfully you’ll believe you’re outflanked during their “Christmas in Vietnam.” This is a gospelization of doo wop that may be leading us up that hard road to hip hop. (Viet Cong! Viet Cong!)
Most WWII songs are subtle enough to want us to revere the troops and pray for their return, without acknowledging that dang ol’ killing machine over the Atlantic. (I wish i could find a Punch Hitler/Tojo for Christmas tune–lemme know if there is one.)
The musical ‘Annie’ gets historically metaphorical with “A New Deal for Christmas” Anthony Warlow and Lilla Crawford which branches the Depression to the 2nd ToDo. So let’s skip over this. I mean it’s linekicking fun, but heigh ho.
Still nothing consequential about the Holocaust, Axis v. Allies, or that atom bomb thing.
[Although i did stumble across young Ty Martin wise cracking about Pearl Harbor to a Christmas tune: “Ty’s Patriotic Christmas Song.” Kids today!]
So, let’s settle for a pretty piece of electric country: “My Ol’ Pal Joe” by Sean Castillo. It’s about GI Joe, which is definitely American. And it’s sweet.
Most of the handful of carols dedicated to WWI are British about their dedication and sacrifice (and that one about the soccer game on the front lines).
But we’re being national here. So we’ll leave the patriotic history in the hands of the Royal Guardsmen with their capitalistic sequel to ‘Snoopy vs. the Red Baron’ song “Snoopy’s Christmas.” That beagle’s kinda Yank.
Keith Roberts sings a funny little folk grass tune entitled “Three Soldiers,” all about marching off to the American Civil War. (Not sweet, but not the bloody horror show you might’ve thought.)
You’ve heard of this ‘Hamilton’ musical?
Eclipse 6 does a ‘Rudolph’ take-off a la that.
Just watch. (Be wary of in-jokes.)
Man oh man.
Yankee Doodle is an insult, of course, but we know how to reappropriate tawdry phrases in this here land of the i-hear-what-i-want-to-hear, home of the shut-your-immigrant-faces.
And no better starting point than K-4 in our public education. Plank Road Publishing offers several easy-to-learn musical numbers for kids for special events indoctrinating, educating, and amusing all at once.
Sitting through these free-for-alls in asbestos-ridden antique auditoria is not the same as listening to music. So let’s not worry about the sampler-sized parcels available from Teresa and Paul Jennings’s work. (These are the adverts for the musical directors at elementary schools–I am NOT going to attach the home movies of any performances.)
Suffice to say, “An All American Christmas,” and “Yankee Doodle Santa,” and “Yankee Doodle Christmas” all sound like someone has an unrequited love of music, a bureaucratic devotion to children, and a carefree sense of history.