Saved the HEY! best for HEY!! last. HEY!!! ‘Cause shouting HEY in Christmas songs never gets too annoying.
Call me a softie, but Wells Cathedral School Records put all their overachievers together for a mishmash of holiday glitz “Hey Ho, It’s Christmas I Know.” It’s a mess, but a special episode of Glee mess.
Backroom Stereo band rocks the laid back alt fun out of “Hey Ho Ho Ho.” It’s that kind of party.
1960s scat pop revives in Merrill Nisker’s “Hey Ho Christmas.” Wired shenanigans.
1980s soulful syncopop from York Patrick expresses a breathy cheer “Hey Soon It’s Christmastime.” It should repel, but the insistent backbeat gets to me. Cuddling, hmm-mmm.
Hey! I said, Hey! Sometimes, the interjection is just an excuse to slip in the weird. Even about Xmas.
“Hey-Ho, Let the Holly Jolly in” is the BLUE ALERT finale of ‘Another F*cking Christmas Play: A F*cking Musical’ in which the original cast rouse themselves from their cranky torpor and celebrate the holiday. Who Ray?
Amy Rutherford and Amy Stewart from their A Very Special Christmas Time with Amy and Amy rock the show tune poorly (on purpose, come on) with “Hey, C’mon! Merry Christmas!” Whew, out of breath time.
Filksinging from Green Matthews makes medieval merry of “Hey for Christmas!” Is it weird to want these auld soules to shake their bums?!
Patrick Sawers has bypassed Big Assembly by writing his own recital number for the grade schoolers as “Hey Ho It’s Christmas.” Better than most of that cornball crap, ya ask me.
Holiday time = drunk time, according to TheHeyHos. Gnarly rock (almost punk, but not quite) in “Hey Ho It’s Christmas.” Need a little hair of the Yule log there.
Kyle Dunnigan (feat. Craig) goes the South Park route with “Hey Everybody It’s Christmas!” Celebrity voices poorly imitated, you know the BLUE ALERT drill.
King of weird for our current purposes is the petite comedy/rock from Mad Monkey: “Hey! Ho! Merry Christmas!” Get it? The ambiguity of the English language, man, i’m telling you.
Hey is a rock ‘n’ pop staple in songs to get us to sing-along. Altogether now.
Red State Update want us to all touch each other (until the song gets ruined) with “Hey It’s Christmas.” They tried.
Just Crackers (family friendly this time) try the pop “Hey Hey It’s Christmas” for all of us to join in. You go ahead.
Eva-Maria Kramer goes full symphonic hymnal with “Hey, It’s Christmas.” Klunk.
Lift those voices! “Hey Hey It’s Christmas Day‘” is watered-down Pacfica-beat for the (churched-up) family as posted by Melissa Lesealii. Itchy, i mean catchy.
Sing along with Stephen Weeks, or not. The polka-tastic “[Hey Ho] Tell Me What You Want for Christmas” requires participation to be family fun. Consider me a conscientious objectifier.
“(Hey Everyone) It’s Christmas Time Again” is that rock song that sounds suspiciously like that other rock song. But Chris James is fully earnest and energetic, so–what’s next?
Leaning into Brit-pop, Brett Vargo’s “Hey Christmas!” comes in loud and proud (DON’T BE LATE!!). You can shout if you want to– i’m good.
“Hey Christmas” is Lucas Hoge’s countryfied pop ballad that expects the crowd to wave lit phones. Couple hallelujahs for good measure. But my cell’s dead. So….
O.K. You want the goose to loosen your chair-sittin’ muscles? Here come The Mavericks with some blues rock (watch out, Jerry Lee Lewis) to push and pull y’all in every which way: “Hey! Merry Christmas!” (’till the cows come home).
Christmas may be largely reverent. No exclamations are countenanced at Midnight Mass. But Hanukkah… well, let’s see.
“Hey! It’s Hanukkah!” is the Jewish Wedding Band’s klezmer party anthem that will get you shouting.
“Hey, Little Dreidel” from Brave Combo also whirligig old world music into funzapoppin’ times.
Geeta Brothers hail us in Punjabi with “Hey Hanukkah” as well. Uh oh, that’s not enough.
Well, well, uhh, Pajamarama kid bops “Hey Ho Hey Holiday” for the non-denominational. Uhm, erm….
The surprising funk of the uncredited “Hey Now” from ‘Hanna Barbera’s Christmas Sing-a-long’ HARDLY mentions Mr. Christ’s Big Day. So, we’ll include that.
Let’s end where we knew we would, full-on Xmas mode. “Hey Now (Merry Christmas)” rocks hard and merely repeats the title on occasion. Since the C-word is parenthetical (and since Watch Out for Rockets is so cool) we’ll end this day’s offering thusly.
Who do we really Hey around Xmas?! Is it Santa?! (Listeners, a whole month-load of songs exist to call out Big Red; let’s reduce our consumption to a handful of odd ‘uns.)
The Something Awful people (well, Kruxy) take on Carnie & Wendy Wilson’s pop nonsense with an unending hell of “Hey Santa.” DJ = demented jokery.
Awkward girl rap from Jocie Dena, “Hey Santa” is neither angry nor profane. Nor do the rhymes bust.
Pleading ’80s style lite jazz relays a personal message to help repair a bad breakup. Pricey Diggs’s “Hey Santa” is wet snow on the carpet.
Better is the dad rock of Kerr Donnelly Band’s “Hey Santa.” Elvis fossils.
Beating out Brian Setzer by the hair on my chin chin chin, Royal Crown Revue lays “Hey Santa” into jazz band heaven. You brazen hussy.
Sweet, Hot and Sassy take the ‘Santa Baby’ bit to swing nightclub lengths with their “Hey Santa (Hey, Daddy).” Cue the bluegrass fiddle!
Well, The Moonglows might just own “Hey, Santa Claus” in terms of doo wop, heartbreak, and overall cool. Dig that licorice stick.
So many more… Then there’s the alias–
In all their music video finery Showaddywaddy pop out some 1974 party fun with their hymnal “Hey Mister Christmas.” It’s all fun and games until somebody puts out. Vice Squad improves this with a touch of punk.
Some exclamatory songs aren’t hollering at Xmas itself, they want the notice of a certain someone. YOU!! (maybe)
RuPaul (feat Markaholic) gathers the girls with “Hey Sis, It’s Christmas.” This dance rap stokes the folks afraid to enter the dance floor. Come on (you can have a refrain, too)!
Just as queer, Randy Rainbow’s “Hey Gurl, It’s Christmas!” smacks the fourth wall show tune style. Those in the know expect the political commentary, but this extravaganza is the whole party start to finish.
“Hey Little Drummer Boy” is rockabilly reverence, believe it or don’t. The original po’ boy wittout no geeft is honored in style by Tiger Room. (Not fur shore ’bout the credit here, several ‘bands’ on several compilations are credited for this hot number–my link is to the earliest i could find.)
Rocking Cosgrove makes pop music out of rocking country in “Hey Baby It’s Christmas.” Seamless and catchy, but i’m trying to lower my sugary intake. Phew.
Oli Patto goes the imperfect pop route with “Hey! Baby It’s Christmas Day!” slamming the lyrics hard and riffing off ’12 Days.’ Ironic pop.
Fing’s “Hey Baby It’s Christmas” is classier with bebop and harmony and gravelly vocals. Not pop much.
Tony Spar and Brett Lashley big band up “Hey Baby It’s Christmas” with more jazz than you can handle. Delightful.
One of our older interjections is the simple hey. Which means it no longer represents mere attention getting, but can be greeting, challenge, orgasmic outcry, or–whatever. The trough of novelty songs that hey Xmas will take us a week, kay?
Kids need more interjections to get their attention, so let’s start with swishy kidsong. John Oates (is it Daryl’s ex???) monotones “Hey! Happy Christmas to Ya!” in appropriately singsong playfulness. Yawn.
Seia Yano does the pre-teen bedroom band routine with “Hey! It’s Christmas.” Nasal, youthful, but uninhibited talent shines through with superior piano pop.
The Go Go Cult beat the drum slowly to punctuate “Hey Hey It’s Christmas.” This drug-dreamy doozy of alt-garage should alter your attention toward the holidays (not sure which ones).
Jody Whitesides slow it down even more with “Hey Today is Christmas Day.” This pokey folk pop love ballad declares kindly, but with commanding assurance. Do not deny it.
What’s up with greeting the holidays? Songwriters think this is some amusing apostrophe to the personification of an institution, or sumfen.
Gabriela Radu sings like an impatient child calling out “Hello Christmas.” But the sultry rhythms and slurring diva tones creep out the kidsong genre. Run, Christmas!
(Maybe) not as skin-crawly, Peter Joannou (Brighton’s Singing Barber) galumphs through “Hello Christmas” as a maudlin, inescapable hearkening to olden times in that old smokey lounge lost from a distant decade or two. Shiver me Decembers!
Thwp adds “Hello Christmas” to their chorus to let the calendar know they’re on to the imminence of that festivity. Kid rock that stinks of pop.
Aging dad band Robocalls (fronted by Roger Bogren) rocks the Kohl’s with “Hello Christmas.” Creaky and not fully fluent with English, they get it their best.
Les Fradkin may have been something a while ago, but his grandpop pop “Hello Christmas, Goodbye Year” is too measured and mannered to be the rock he’s looking for. Trying to be hip without breaking one.
Newlife Music reminds us in “Hello Christmas” that the King is born. A little gloria is interjected thusly and this indie pop falalas hither and yon. It’s engaging stuff, but light on lyrics for all its message.
Josh Ingyu uses “Hello Christmas!” as a rollicking pop intro to the whole year of holidays. My calendar says otherwise, but i threw it on the floor when i heard this stomper.
Myla Smith demurs in her coy country-band yummy “Hello, Christmas!” (Finally: full punctuation!) Her reticence is from being on the receiving end of cheating, so it’s a wonder she’s as perky as this. Got a real Dolly-warble going for her (that’s a good thing).
Interjections are often shouted, not always loudly, but certainly as attention getters. Try to get Xmas to notice you, singers!
Cesar Anthony Davis syncopates the jazz meandering “Hello Christmas,” as if rando-melodic soaring vocals could turn the ancient holiday’s head.
Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas give a warm home welcome to the best holiday ever with “Hello Christmas,” hoping bluesy twanging will lull that merriment into c’mon-in’ on ovah.
David Anstruther finds joy in “Hello Christmas.” This folk-beat alt ornament gets happy not sloppy in celebrating the entrance of 12/25. Understated weee!
Rebecca Gregory’s “Hello Christmas” is a wistful piano-tinkling show-tune with an ecstatic solo of yeah-ahs, liking that day to an old friendship–those were the days. This one gets to me.
Liz Isenberg gets grrly with “Hello Christmas,” an indie, arty, angsty alt-rock moaner of loss and remorse. Not a party.
Hitting those electric guitars as ’twere pre-punk 1969, The Pink Flamingos gnarly up “Hello Christmas” like an ode to joy, opening the door to childlike glee.
Naming the English language parts of speech may be like naming the dwarves or reindeer, there’s always one you forget. (‘Less you’re a border-line autistic nerd, c’mon who’s with me!) So, MY fave-o POS might be the interjection, a hard-to-place adverb that serves multi-purposes but mostly allows us to say ‘ejaculate’ modestly in classrooms. This should be a finite linguistic category of only a couple dozen, but we keep adding more (‘meh,’ ‘blurg,’ ‘LOL’). This infectious blurting has indeed infected the Christmas carol. So, let us waste time beholding this offset exclamations addressing Xmas (NOT Santa, if we can help it).
Starting with HELLO…
Dion drags down Amy Grant with the failed 2020 comeback “Hello Christmas.” This pop country ditty checks all the boxes, but lacks a real novelty punch. Cash grabs are fun for three minutes, though, so try this four-minute ‘song.’
PJ Masks rolls out a poppy pop kidsong (almost a minute long) about greeting a time when all’s well–even the bad guys get into the spirit with “Hello Christmas.” That’s fun.
Getting weird, Los 3llers rages operatic on the griefs of the Advent in “Hello Christmas.” This world music exploration is odd in all the right ways.
Isabelle Fries uses this time of the year to say hello to all friends and family. Her “Hello Christmas” just gets in under the theme, but the sexy pop slurring helps.
Much more smooth cool, Donald Lawrence soulsings “Hello Christmas” like the holiday is a loyal old wingman what sets him up with Jesus and peace on Earth whilst hanging at the piano bar.
Hello, here’s what we’re looking for: “Hello Christmas,” my old friend, sings Natalia Klitschko in heavily accented pop friendliness. Bebopping repetition for your dance floor.
