[Dixielandjazz] A whole new paradigm in singing!!

[Hal Vickery]

Not really.  What I'm saying is that these songs have, over the years,
become solely associated with Christmas when, in fact, they actually have
nothing to do with Christmas at all.  In my neck of the woods, you could
ride a sleigh well into March most years, or even stroll through the snow,
or use the cold as an excuse to keep your girl in the house so you can make
out a little longer.

These songs aren't strictly Christmas (or holiday) songs, but that's the
only time of year when we haul them out to play on the radio.  Let's examine
them briefly:

1) Let It Snow x 3:  The young couple are using the snow as an excuse to
stay by the fire and presumably neck.

2) Baby It's Cold Outside:  The guy is trying to convince the gal to stay in
presumably to neck.  Perhaps #1 is a sequel to #2.

3) Sleigh Ride:  Originally written by Leroy Anderson for the Boston Pops,
the only reference to anything resembling a holiday when lyrics were finally
added was "a birthday party at the home of Farmer Gray."

4) Jingle Bells:  Doesn't even have so much as a birthday party.

5) Winter Wonderland:  This time the couple (could it be the same couple as
in songs 1 and 2, and have they spent the night together, perhaps making it
more of a wonderland than it would have been otherwise) are out strolling
through the snow speaking of marriage and playing building snowmen.

So why do these songs considered Christmas or holiday songs?

Hal Vickery

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Bill Gunter
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2005 11:47 AM
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] A whole new paradigm in singing!!

Hi Hal and all,

You wrote:

>. . . I have no idea what Let It Snow x 3, Baby
>It's Cold Outside, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland, or even Jingle Bells 
>have
>to do with Christmas, or any other holiday for that matter.

You don't?  To me that seems a bit odd since the associations with Christmas

have, over the centuries, expanded from a purely Christian Religious 
observance into a seasonal festival of joy.  By "joy" I mean the warm 
feelings which come from thoughts of "peace," "love," "brotherhood of man," 
"giving and receiving" and (in the northern hemisphere) other more 
non-religious things we associate with the season . . . snow, winter, 
evergreen trees, sleighs, annual sending of cards to people to let them know

they're still in our hearts . . . etc. etc. etc.

But then you knew all that, didn't you?

At the risk of misunderstanding (which I often do), are you saying that 
observing secular things at Christmastime, such as songs about sleigh rides 
and snow and jingling bells, ought not to be considered and that those who 
believe should confine ourselves simply to prayer and meditation and the 
singing of songs of a purely religious nature about the birth of Jesus?

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Bah! Humbug!" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com


ps - If the songs you mentioned were deleted from our Christmas experience I

would truly miss them! Sort of like it really wouldn't be Christmas without 
them.

-bg



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