I became mildly obsessed with a song called "Christmas Cake", last Christmas. Being an atheist, I always have mixed feelings about the annual madness that is Christmas. I tend to think that these days that religion is beginning to spoil a perfectly good capitalist festival (joke).
On, if it was not for the fog delays at Heathrow, what was supposed to be my last evening in the Bay area, I tuned into Stanford University's college radio station when I was on my way home from the pub. They played a great song from a compilation called "Maybe this Christmas". I remembered the name of the album, and checked it out again when I got home. It seemed there were three albums in a series, I think they were all released for charity and are hard to find. Anyway, there were a load of really cool people doing "different" Christmas songs.
And, of all people, Rilo Kiley had done a song on the second album of the series. I just love this song, it is beautifully played and sung, and the lyric is just sublime. It's just what everyone needs as an antidote to the annual Christmas nonsense:
"(it's almost christmas)
when i take off my make-up i look old and defeated
i'm not so dangerous
cry into my christmas cake
starin holes into me all night
you should just give up
'cause our love's become sellin' secrets
to the russians they don't need
the cold war is on between you and me
25 years old and a bachelor's degree
your parents helped out with graduation fees
the loans were never enough
the credit cards are calling your bluff
hold your hand, cut them up, move away
or you'll payin' them off 'till your kids grow up
and do the same
there's no more runnin' water
wrappin' presents in the dark
move into your car
change where you park
too bad that job carolin' department stores fell through
but the new year is right in front of you
cry into your christmas cake
don't know what else to do
don't know what else to do
(fa la la fa la la la la)
i fear i'm goin deaf
i've got some sense left
give up some more to be with you (oooo)
'cause what good is seein' if love's not lookin' back at you (aahhh)
and what good is feelin' if my hands aren't touchin' you
and another angel came down
he was wearin' only a cloud
he said sew up the bad that you've done
tomorrow christmas day comes
(christmas day)"
It's on the album of the series called, "Maybe this Christmas too". We need more songs in the world like this! Next Christmas I don't just have Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas" as a sad Christmas song to listen to.
The photo above is from set on Flikr from Japan, the guy who took it's user name is - Jmurawski.
Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland - April 20 2007
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