X-claim: hey (pt. 4)

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.

X-claim: hey (pt. 3)

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.

X-claim: hey (pt. 2)

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.

X-claim: hey (pt. 1)

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.

X-claim: hello (pt. 3)

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).

X-claim: hello (pt. 2)

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.

X-claim: hello (pt. 1)

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.

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Ouroboros got nothing on the returning Christmas syndrome.

MxPx returns with ANOTHER song about ANOTHER Christmas. “Another Song about Christmas” is lite punk that seems to celebrate more than urinate on. I could box step to it.

Reindeer Tribe garage pop about displacement in “Everyone Together.” It goes on and on, even during another holiday. Fun party music for the downer in us.

Merrill Leffmann divas out quiet piano bar style with “Every Year.” It’s a heartbreaking loss when THIS year isn’t like those others.

Andrew Collins (feat. Monique) performs the childhood fantasy of “Another Christmas Time.” This lyrical show tune gets to the heart of what another really means. Though, it is lame.

What gets us out of this time loop is the reminder of a later time… a New Year. Then we can forget the next Christmas, until the bills come due. “Another New Year’s Eve” is a power ballad from Michael Stanley that sucks the joy out of the season. Is melancholy on your list of resolutions? [You want happy? Try The Treebees‘ own song by that title.][A final boot-kickin’ country anthem by that title hails from Reckless Kelly.]

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Loop de loop, round and round we go, Christmasses to the right of me, Xmasses to the left. Who can sing that?

Kevin Sisson performs “Another Christmas Eve” as some hoedown love fest. This cowboy roundup picks, grins, and twirls. Yee ho.

“Another Sad Christmas” as vocalized by XANSEII is a rap dirge of BLUE ALERT depressed proportions.

“Another Sad Christmas” from Damien Quinn in BLUE ALERT snide rap about friends and family–and self. All losers.

“Another Sad Christmas” by Mr. Toxic is electro-rap rife with daddy issues, unrequited love, economic woes. That’s enough.

Sterling and Loscalzo up the beat just a skooch with “Just Another Sad Christmas Song.” This pop breeze is dedicated TO YOU. So, be sad, wudja?

Release the rock! “There may Never be Another Christmas” twists a political agenda into a Santa wishlist. And if justice and fairness aren’t presented–Oi! Oi!–there may never be another Christmas. Quid pro quo.

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This Moebius strip of Xmas will never end, so quit asking if we’re there yet. Mannheim Steamroller up!

Amy Grant softly folks “Another Merry Christmas” with motherhood, war, and everything all at once. There you go.

“Another White Christmas” is a sendup of white people. Tim Cavanaugh tickles the lounge ivories to fight racism. I guess.

“Another White Christmas” is Brent Burns singing about sand at the beach. I’ll need some help with the humor here, guys. Swing pop.

“We’ll Never Have Another White Christmas” is The Pepper Tree Market’s lament that that Bing song is the pinnacle and will never be topped as THE song of the season. Clever doo wop. Highly recommended.

Eux Autres prop me up with their lively pop music “Another Christmas at Home.” Friends, drinking, playing, lights twinkling. What more could you ask for? Listen, this song’ll have it.