Year-round Yuletide oddities
Our old buddy, Bear Ron does it again. A patriotic song about our symbol of everlasting life from Christ’s birth and death. His drunk-sounding warbling and guitar tootling adds to the surreality. But you know he stands by it. 3 1/2 minutes in, the song switches to the actual White House tree lighting 2011. Speech!
Celebrate “The American Christmas Tree” kids!
Baldly stating a Christmas song is patriotic has got an agenda.
Sometimes we’re simply looking for an anthem like with Lady Chioma Nwadike’s “Christmas USA.”
More suspiciously Trade Martin murders “Patriotic Christmas” to divide the rottweillers from the lambs. This soaring country howler checks all the boxes, but makes a dance tune out of grand notions. Bread and circuses, gang.
More Plank Road children’s stuff.
“Merry Christmas to You from the Red, White, and Blue” is just a few words over and over again. And that’s what it’s all about. (This version is a video for the Neabsco Singers to study at home and in the classroom to learn the lyrics–as should you all.)
Wait–the flag is not only for the military war complex! It’s there for America!
A “Red, White, and Blue Christmas” describes Dottie Swan’s reaction to her country torn apart from warfare. This ’70s country treacle tells a lonely story.
Ronnie McDowell answers the question why the flag is next to his Christmas tree in “Red, White, and Blue Christmas.” It’s cornball pop country (there’s an eagle in there, too), but God was born today for a reason ( …for the USA).
Annie Moses Band trills over churchy jazz seeming to include all of us–everyone–in their “Red, White, and Blue Christmas.” Thank you, guys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1n2nc47qLw
Old Glory should wave proudly for us all. But i guess we only really figure the military need to see it.
Dyer Highway power ballads “Red White and Blue Christmas” about missing out while serving. It’s a strong song about complex feelings.
A slight twist off ‘Blue Christmas” comes from Bishop M.B. and Dr. Brenda Johnson singing “Red White and Blue Christmas” to the troops. Jazzy but uplifting pop.
Patty Speelt laments the Christmas missing with her “Red, White and Blue Christmas.” Soulful country. Buck up, kids. You have to.
“A Red White and Blue Christmas” seems to feature all the artists from Hilltop Records. They try to outdo one another with harmony. One for all, with a patriotic lawrence welk flair.
George Pardo and Dr. J Gale Kilgore (not fake names i’m sure) tap on a tambourine and rage on a rhythm machine for their “Red, White, and Blue Christmas Song” diatribe. Be patriotic or be stupid.
Jack Greene weaves us yet another soldier holiday song. But “Red White and Blue Christmas” dissects the experience of a lonely Army man from Tennessee. Jack’s voice is tremulous from the power of his song, and his need to retire ten years ago.
Some people gotta make sure we recognize the Armed Forces by making as much noise as possible. If you don’t as well you should probably get punched. This patriotism by amplitude usually results in cringe-worthy crooning.
Ronald James Sorenson does not make me cringe, however, and his while his “Fly Our Flag for Christmas” may not win any grammy awards i rather enjoyed the gentle strumming and pleasant assumptions made.
On the homefront we fret and worry about those men away from home in the crosshairs of danger–not Santa’s elves, no no.
How much does it suck? Reed Robertson tosses us a tune about what wonderful things the boys over there Don’t get, and what paltry things they Do get. “Camouflage and Christmas Lights” is not a recruitment video. Not even when Rodney Carrington dresses it up with studio quality.
Jenny Brown sings awful pretty folk country in “Camouflage Christmas.” It’s not too maudlin although she clearly misses her man. Best i can say.
Sometimes them government issued guys show talent and keep it all in perspective. Danny Rongo’s “A Soldier’s Christmas Song” has guilt-free lilt. It’s not a spiritual, or otherwise sad song. I took it at first for a protest. But it’s just matter-o-fact tellin’ it like it is.
Listen.
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.