Category: paro”deus” (pop tunes into Xmas)

Jesus Christ! drum and drummer

Because of David Bowie and Big Crosby, “Little Drummer Boy” got some cultish legs. Their generation gap is so flamin’ famous Will Ferrell and John C, Reilly have a Funny or Die skit bit on their hit (i died). Even Jack Black and Jason Segel pay College Humor homage to that fromage (this one’s animated, but still turgid).

A favorite iconoclasm on the song is to rock it, like Joan Jett and The Blackhearts do (slightly).

A whole cool new musical rebirth is what’s needed, like Jaime Bee and the Royal Jelly Orchestra does so well. It’s almost big klezmer band… so tasty!

Best of all is a parody of a Bob Dylan song about musicians (‘Tambourine Man’) turned inside down by joker Joel Kopischke. Witness “Mister Drummer Boy Man” and wonder how no one ever chanced upon this brilliant commentary on talent/showmanship/fame/pride heretofore.

Jesus Christ! the setting

Taking the time to rework ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen to meet your own comical needs is a consuming labor, but several have done it.

ApologetiX has a lively, clever version (or two), but it’s OT about David and Goliath. (Did they fight in Bethlehem? Or was that Elhanan and Goliath?)

Queen even did a Santa/gifts lark with their own parody.

I prefer the Mark Bradford attempt. Lots of churches use it (with awful costumes/puppetry), and it’s a super duper parody.

Jesus Christ! afterbirth

Aerosmith’s 1989 works may not lend themselves to Christmas parodies, but then you don’t know ApologetiX. This Christian parody rock band from Pittsburgh has been storming the States for nearly 25 years. Dozens of cool bandmen have enriched their ranks over the years… and they adapt modern stuff too. (They’re ‘Weird’ Al approved!)

So check out “Mary’s Got a Son (Parody of ‘Janie’s Got a Gun).” Mother of God!

Jesus Christ! b-day greetings

Some songs simply tell JC to blow out the candles on his cake of forgiveness. I suppose God-as-Man has more to do than observe numbers on a calendar, but it gives us great elder wisdom to thank ourselves for not forgetting His special day.

Most pastorages stick some virtuosoistic kid in from of the oldsters and sing “Happy Birthday Jesus” until we can’t stop beaming and crying and feeling fulfilled. Whatevs.

Some try out the joke of singing the (previously) copyrighted ‘Happy Birthday’ song to Jesus: check out the tail end of “Wonderful Christmastime” by Barenaked Ladies. It’s not one you’ll put in your top 100 carols, i’d wager.

I prefer a good Beatles’ parody from the grand master mockumentarian Bob Rivers. “Jesus’ Birthday” rocks the flock. It’s a fine way to get the party started.

United We Christmas Tree Stand: revolting

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.

Xmas Dance Party: Santa dance

Happy Hallowmas! Are your wreaths for the dead ready?

This time of year is non-stop  party, party, paw-tay! So you need a soundtrack. Well, Christmastime has many danceable selections.

You know Santa cuts a mean rug, right?

Woodcreek Faction do a killer political satire video, in addition to their 8-bit redux-es, not to mention their flat out party-licious parodies. I’m not sure if they are completely above the bar or below the radar, so don’t tell Men Without Hats… but, here is their genius “Santa Dance” (sadly without their more-than-genius shot-by-shot tribute music video). Enjoy.

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Santa Jobs: back to earth

Being an alien is more avocation than occupation. And while rocketing the sky is a pretty cool job, let’s consider that great heroic calling of astronaut.

Let’s get past Tiny Tim, one of our pop culture astronauts. “Zoot Zoot Zoot Here Comes Santa in His New Space Suit” pretty much tells the whole song. It’s an oddity. It’s a novelty. Even i can’t find much to love in this mess.

Valentine Green sways into electric pop with “Space Station Santa” hitting all the right notes to make a funny novelty song. But he does it make it seem effortless, like he’s got one for any topic–just need a location… I’m hearing.. space station?

Austrilian cabaret singer Jeff Duff goes experimental with his warbling “Santa Claus is an Astronaut.” If you are reminded of Bowie, he has done his odd job. Jeff met him in Sydney and even performed a revue of his shows for years. [Consider his later mashup Ground Control to Frank Sinatra album, hoo hoo boy.]

But, if you want to get Major Bowie, let’s turn to the great parodist of our Xmas times: Joel Kopischke. “Ground Control to Santa Claus” delivers exactly what you would hope it would do. Strap in.

Toymakers Local 1224: arbitration-5

Was it all the way back in 2013 Ylvis wanted to know about foxes saying things?

I guess it seems longer ago.

So many parodies, so many.

Academically, we have Vicki Daglian and Colleen Kiernan’s 2nd grade class positing “What Does the Elf Say?” I smell a ringer. The actual vocals can’t be some average seven-year-old!

Homegrown The Jaybirds, freaks out about the Elf on the Shelf in their “What Does the Elf Say?” This is fairly normal among parents.

Mat Moody gets an E for Elfort with his “What Does the Elf Say?” He also gets major support/budget for his mediocre satirizing skills.

Shoal Creek Community Church proves that many missionaries have wicked keen wits and bombastic musical numbers, but i’m not sure why their set up for their “What Does the Elf Say?” parody starts with such a creepy Eyes Wide Shut Christmas costume party.

Jared O delivers the goods on the best note-for-note parody, helped with clumsy accents and long cheeked bros in chorus lines, cluttered with clips of Will Ferrell. There’s a low bar for “What Does the Elf Say?” but i enjoyed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Hqja7Wm00