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Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

My first Christmas song

I wrote my first Christmas song. On June 21st of 2008.

And then I wrote my friend Ed, one of my song consiglieri, to tell him about it. His reply is at the bottom...

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Ed, It dawned on me, as I was reflecting on a particularly unenjoyable Christmas past, that for 31% of people (it has been documented), Christmas is an awful time of year. And yet, most Christmas music is beyond-saccharin.

Sugary, sappy, syrupy songs that make you feel great if you're already happy, but throw you off the cliff of despair if you're already depressed. You know the ones... a whacked out, happy racket filled with maids a milkin', sleigh bells ring ding-a-lingin', chestnuts roasting, drums pa-rum-pa-pum-pumin', jingling bells jinglin' and all that shit.

So I thought I'd write an upbeat-but-honest Christmas song that reflects the reality of the holiday season for the "other third". Can't wait to play it for you. It might be a pop gem. And yes, we'd have to put sleigh bells on this fucker. Like I said, it's a little pop-cheesy, but we can't leave this earth without writing a Christmas song, right?
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Here's my crack at trying to break into the holy Christmas canon:

It's Christmas

It's Christmasn -- I'm happy
Wait, it's Christmas I'm depressed
The lights in the trees bring back memories
Of you smiling at me, kissing in your Christmas dress

Oh babe, I wanna know
Why I think of you every time it snows
Silver and gold, red and green
Just remind me of the way things used to be
Used to be
Used to be

It's Christmas -- I'm leaving town
Gonna drive to the desert and just hang around
Mistletoe makes me sick, all the gifts just feel like tricks
Even sweet old Saint Nick kind of creeps me out

Oh babe, I wanna know
Why I think of you every time it snows
Silver and gold, red and green
Just remind me of the way things used to be
Used to be
Used to be

Yeh, it's a wonderful life driving alone through the desert at night
It's Christmas Eve but I won't call… I think I'll pull over and watch the snow fall…
(bridge ends with pretty walkdown from D to G -- like snowfall… aww….)

It's Christmas -- sun is coming up
I think I'm feeling better, just me and my coffee cup
It's been a hell of a year, but I'm seeing things clear
So take care my dear and Merry Christmas to you

I'm learning to let go (Merry Christmas to you)
I'm learning to let go (Merry Christmas to you)
I'm learning to let go (Merry Christmas to you)
I'm learning to let go (Merry Christmas to you)

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Ed's response:
Outstanding. I like the chorus. My ex-in-laws used to send us a fruit cake every year. Don't laugh. It was GREAT fruitcake. I loved it. The first Christmas after I got divorced was pretty weird and I missed the fruitcake, so I wrote one... Ain't no fruitcake when you're gone... but it doesn't stack up to yours.

Posted By John Common at: 12:12 am

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Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

My first Christmas song

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