The Ohio City Players rock the polka with “Make Believe,” an investigation into the power of the mind. Mind bendy.
Sean Allan Krill also toys with Xmas maybes in the easy listening folderol “Wish.” Whitebread with mayonnaise.
Jesus Presley parlays Xmas faith into the Big Question in the bluesy pop “It’s Christmas Eve.” The follow-up line here is I do believe, as if everything is ephemeral and all that exists is what you want it to be. Sexy sax, man.
Again: Ron Holden has already asked us “Who Says There Ain’t No Santy Claus?” But it bears redefending. Doo wop greatness all the way to the electric chair.
Riffing off Red Sovine’s patented storytelling, MAMA admits that in “A Christmas Far Far Away” no one believes in Christmas. This is a country trucking song, but in space. It’s like that.
Again: From the failed musical ‘Flahooley’ Barbara Cook and Jerome Courtland update “Who Says There Ain’t No Santa Claus?” with a love song searching for romance.
Brooks and Dunn did NOT improve on this title with their homespun country mush “Who Says There Ain’t No Santa.” Not a cover, but a banal cashgrab.
Properly modern, Captain Beefheart avant gardes the blues with his proclamation “There Ain’t No Santa Claus on the Evening Stage.” Sure it’s from the 1970s, but compared to the other stuff here, this is forward looking.
Again: Maybe i gots a soft spot for Therese Jennings’s Plank Road Publishing, but the professional productions of swing bits like “Who Put the Christmas Presents Under the Tree?” beats the short pants offa the elementary assemblies we have to sit through.
Washboard rhythms from The Christmas Jug Band prevaricate over the question with “The Real Deal.” Is he? Isn’t he? Ask your kid.
Santa promised he’d leave his wife, but that was another of his “Christmas Lies.” Fear Boner overproduces this silliness with jazz band pop.
Watch out for the BLUE ALERT when David Ivan Neil pisses all over the myth that “Santa is Real.” Swinging country that hopes to offend you.
The Heebee-Jeebees sing the blues with “Please Santa be Real.” They’re kidsong-sters, but the music is the real deal.
Again: Very happy to reunite you with The Yule Logs’ “Atheist Serf Holiday.” Good old rock and roll puts ideology in its place. Groovy.
The Non Traditionals pedal the same story with “Santa Must be Daddy,” a folk rocker of an exploration through Nativity and what’s under the tree. Mystical.
Surfrock from fun. puts us in the thick of it with the woo-wooo “Believe in Me.” See, he believes in Santa and reindeer and getting Ashley a Bowflex, but has his own identity crisis. Poof, he’s gone.
Is Santa a legend based on history? Or a myth that fills the hole of dread? Or a lie parents find deflects blame? Or a gateway to Christianity? Bring on the Doubting Thomases!
Again: Augie Rios returns with the fun R’n’R kidsong “Ol’ Fatso.” This refuser yells at that guy on the roof… until faced with the absence of presents. Switcheroo! (The Caroleers make mincemeat out of this replacing rock with symphonic.)
Beatnik Turtle gives the holidays the third degree with the investigatory “Santa.” This slow club rock deconstructs the myth and doesn’t like what it finds. Loss of credibility follows.
Daniel Dennis brings back the rock (wrapped in country) with the concept that You Don’t Believe, but “Santa Still Believes.” That’ll do, figment of my imagination, that’ll do.
ELP’s prog-rock “I Believe in Father Christmas” has whined on the blog before, but other versions both punk and NewAge/Celtic and gal cappella (holy moly) and even ‘on quaaludes‘ hover nearby. So, why not? I mean, okay, this is an existential crisis of faith–but it turns out relatively cool, or at least called on rain. All right, all right. Next month I promise: songs about ambivalence and disbelief!
The Clapis Cousins represent the millennial slacker with raw strumming and struggling whistling in their folk-rock manifesto “Dear Santa.” Rap solo!
Squirrel Nut Zippers offer variation to their “Hanging Up My Stockings” with some odd broke-down Victrola filter. But this childish act of beggary is testament to belief, i believe.
Tom Kenny’s SpongeBob SquarePants leads the cast in their vote of confidence: “Santa Won’t Let You Down.” It’s pop showtune certainty.
Heather Noelle Holley tries to trademark Christmas with “There is a Santa Claus.” Cheesy pop heuristics that makes it so.
In 1897 The New York Sun editorialized the fact o’ Santa for little Virginia. Erasure recites the article (including the girl’s street address) for our elevation. Neil Spence (from 1966) syncopates the spoken word a touch more. Bryce Wood gets rock’n’roll showtune on it all. Holmes Outdoors features a clip from some other musical that gets chorally quite Great White Way (not sure who’s singing). Bruce Enloe gets down and country (nearly honky tonk) wit it. Jimmy Dean famously gets the name wrong when trying to rewrite the story as his own in 1965. Copyright issues?! Most strangely, Your Marginally Talented Photographer Girlfriend gets garage meltdown with it.
Whoa ho ho… Scottish band Pilot parlayed their pop hit into the holidays with “It’s Christmas.” Never believe it’s not so. That makes money, yeh?
Tim Noah rattles off all matter of beliefs in the retirement home pop “Just Because.” Pro whistling.
Matt Roach struggles through heartbreak with the alt-folk inner monologue “Christmas Encore.” He believes in all of it. Why won’t you? In him? Emo.
Danny Baty kerplomps us a cowboy tune with “I Still Believe in Santa Claus.” Daddy tells daughter the provisios and conditionals and the metaphors.
Santa Sabbath and Friends turns a metal love ballad into “I Still Believe in Santa.” You gotta have faith, i guess.
“I Still Believe In Santa Claus” from the so-called Brandy Music Publishing Canada. It’s perky, ballad-y pop. Yet moody stuff. Approved.
Allen Karl regrets the loss of childhood with the cowboy twanger: “I Wish I Still Believed in Santa Claus.” Having trouble following these subjunctive tenses….
Darren Doran slings falsetto and harmonica against the folk protest “I Still Believe in Santa Claus.” Not sure of the production choices here.
Michael Loverde monotones “I Still Believe in Santa Claus” like it’s a Gregorian chant. But the symphonic piano has other ideas. Making this… jazz band pop?!
Eddie Mackerel overloads the mic with his punk pop “I Still Believe in Santa.” It’s spoken word, but emotional.
Sounding washed up after last call, Tamara Solange belts out “I Still Believe In Santa” in the last honky tonk on the left. She’s wishing you back, dear.
These protestations of determinacy are beginning to sound like each other. Let’s keep going then!
Trying again, Mehghan Trainor swings the pop declaring “I Believe in Santa.” She does. Do you? The choreography writes itself.
The Statler Brothers get all sit down, son and we’ll talk with “I Believe in Santa’s Cause.” There’s lots of country topics they can’t prove (less filling/tastes great), but they are convinced of the inner meanings. Something like that.
“Santa Claus (I Still Believe In You)” is Alabama’s attempt at country kidsong. Good harmonies lead into gospel, so this is the IDEA of the fat man.
LeAnn Rimes torch sings the lounge-wonderful “I Still Believe in Santa Claus.” Maybe you saw Slinky on the kid’s list and thought he meant job description.
“I Still Believe in Santa” as DeVita sings it is cheeseball pop with synthed vocals and little message. If this is your thing, go with God–figuratively speaking.
“I Still Believe in Santa Claus” by New Kids on the Block is more contemplative pop, from when they had baby voices. Still plenty of cheese.
“I Still Believe In Santa Claus” from Arielle Perez is almost showtune in energy, evolving from slow and uncertain to steady and loud. Still pop.
Full Service adults the pop a smidge with “I Still Believe in Santa Claus.” Nice folk influence, but it’s for the young ‘uns.
Brent Evans brings us back to country, sort of, with “I Still Believe in Santa Claus.” It’s a compare/contrast of boy to man. Is one better?
SuicideFriendly switches us up with bluesrock in their “I Still Believe in Santa Claus.” It’s tradition here despite the iconoclastic riffing.
Club rock from Lennie Gallant featuring John Dunsworth connects us better to “I Still Believe In Santa.” Well, those of us who got it figured out. Twangy!
