#1 U2, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (1987)
This one packs all the best of mid-eighties U2 into a Christmas song of desire for past love and holiday companionship. Be careful, though, listening to it can result in the deep lodging within one's brain of the repeated refrain, "Christmas... Christmas... Christmas".
Lots of people around / Christmas
Baby, please come home
The church bells in town / Christmas
They're ringin' a song / Christmas
What a happy sound / Christmas
Baby, please come home
They're singin' 'Deck the Halls'
But it's not like Christmas at all
I remember when you were here
And all the fun we had last year
Pretty lights on the tree / Christmas
I'm watchin' 'em shine / Christmas
You should be here with me / Christmas
Baby, please come home
Christmas can be such a happy, joyful time; but it can also be a very hard and lonely time. Often the difference is context. When the memories of holiday happiness past is compared with the loneliness of a present holiday reality, everything about the season can increase the weight, the burden, of such times. Snow falling, bells ringing, people singing, lights shining... all of these normally festive symbols of Christmas joy can become mockery to those whose heart cannot join in the festivities.
WikiFact: "The second and most widely known [cover] was recorded by U2 in July 1987 during a sound check at a stop during their Joshua Tree Tour in Glasgow, Scotland."
Not surprisingly, this song reeks (in the most beautiful, effervescent way) of Joshua Tree era U2. This may be an unfair advantage that this particular Christmas song has over the rest of its competitors (especially considering that I love all things U2). Nonetheless, the U2 version of this song is able to stand on it's own legs as a top tier Christmas song.
It's not as though U2 departed greatly from the original version by Darlene Love. The two are actually quite similar. But I get the sense that this song was intended for Bono and the boys. Yes, I would be so bold as to say that Phil Spector's Christmas song finds its fulfillment in U2.
I just really enjoy this song - right or wrong - that's why it's number one.
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I must say for me that christmas is not christmas until I hear the following song at church. This song brings back many childhood memories of church at christmastime:
ReplyDeleteCalled: Glory to God (Dutch: Ere Zij God)
English:
Glory to God! (2X) In the highest! (3X)
Peace on the earth, peace on the earth to the people who have God’s favor.
Glory to God in the highest! (2X) Peace on the earth. (4X)
To the people, to the people who have God’s favor.
To the people who have God’s favor, who have God’s favor!
Glory to God! Glory to God! In the highest! In the highest! In the highest!
Peace on the earth, peace on the earth to the people who have God’s favor.
Amen, amen.
Dutch (use the repeats shown in English):
Ere zij God! In den hoge!
Vrede op aarde, vrede op aarde, in de mensen een welbehagen.
Amen, amen.
Hey Tyler! Thanks for the playlist recommendations! We have a serious shortage of good Christmas music so I downloaded a bunch of them! :-) Hope you & Jackie are doing well!
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