Happy Golden Days of Now

I'm full of Christmas cheer this year, and often I flip on Comcast's "Sounds of the Season," channel 501. Right now Robert Goulet is summoning All Ye Faithful, but just two minutes ago, Jessica Simpson was murdering every mirthful aspect of the holidays with something that can't adequately be described as singing or even shrieking. You know that sound when you defenestrate a cat? Okay, I hope you don't -- I don't either -- but I'm speculating.

It's so easy to perform Christmas songs well, even for pop singers; Mariah Carey did justice to the holiday, for instance, with "All I Want for Christmas" (which everyone secretly loves). Right now Olivia Newton-John just came on to show us Christmas from down under; do the lights twinkle in the opposite direction? Hey, she's pretty good with "Away in a Manger," very low in her voice but gentle and reverent. Now she just went from the real melody to the fake one they make you sing in church that nobody knows -- they blend together well.

Let's switch to channel 524, the "traditional holiday favorites." Angela Lansbury and the cast of Mame are rocking out to "We Need a Little Christmas," and although some castmates don't really sing on key, they convinced me to haul out some holly.

Lots of other great Christmas songs come from musical theater composers: "The Christmas Waltz," Jule Styne; "It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas," Meredith Willson. And one of my favorites, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Hugh Martin/Ralph Blaine. A heartbreaking song when Judy Garland tries to convince her sister that their family will be together next year, if not in St. Louis. Originally the lyrics were flat-out funeraul: "Next year we may all be living in the past." The writers were encouraged to tone down the bleakness, and thus "Next year all our troubles will be out of sight."

Apparently Frank Sinatra wasn't into the melancholy that comes with year's end, so he is the reason many people sing "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough." The lyric in Meet Me in St. Louis, "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow," diffuses some of that New Year's resolution fervor and reminds us how much we didn't follow up on last year's wishes. Just because the year changes out, much goes on as it was. But we won't live in the past, as the rejected lyrics lamented; we will get by, with joy and sadness and whatever else fate has in store.

We need the honesty and bravery (and what Katie called the wistful sentiment) of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." In its mixed emotions, it stirs me more toward hope than anything Jessica Simpson has done. Oh, thank goodness, Ella Fitzgerald just wiped her out with "Sleigh Ride." Can she please run her over again with a reindeer or two?

Edit: Kalyn reminded me that the best Christmas song was written by Irving Berlin. And I am definitely dreaming of a white Christmas this year. Usually it just rains.