What are your favorite lesser known/obscure/covered holiday songs/carols?

[tjdee]

Today at work (where they've already switched to 24/7 holiday songs :scared:) I discovered Coldplay's version of "2000 miles" and LOVE it.

Listening to it right now.

What are some other gems I'm missing out on?

Lyrics to 2000 miles, if you've not heard it:
She's gone 2000 miles
It's very Far
The snow came down
Gets colder day by day
I miss her

I hear Children singing
It felt like Christmas Time
In these frozen silent nights
Sometimes in a dream
You Appear

Outside under the purple sky
Diamonds in the snow, sparkle
Our hearts was singing
It felt like christmas time

2000 miles is very far through the snow
I think of you where ever you go
2000 miles is very far through the snow
I think of you where ever you go

She's gone 2000 miles
It's very far
The snow came falling down
Gets colder day by day
I miss you

I hear people singing;
It felt like Christmas time
I hear People singing;
It felt like Christmas time
I hear people singing;
It felt like Christmas time
I hear People singing;
It felt like Christmas time

[eeyore]

1. Hipster's Holiday

It's a whole disc of great old Jazz/Soul holiday songs, mostly Christmas.

1. Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong And The Commanders
2. Santa Done Got Hip - The Marquees
3. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
4. Jingle Bells - Leo Watson
5. Deck Us All With Boston Charlie - Lambert, Hendricks, And Ross
6. Dig That Crazy Santa Claus - Oscar McLollie And His Honey Jumpers
7. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus - Mabel Scott
8. Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) - Miles Davis
9. Silent Night - The Tim Fuller Experience
10. 'Zat You, Santa Claus - Louis Armstrong And The Commanders
11. Merry Christmas Baby - Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra
12. We Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo - Big John Greer
13. Five Pound Box Of Money - Pearl Bailey
14. Be-Bop Santa Claus - Be-Bop Santa Claus
15. Jingle All The Way - Jingle All The Way
16. Christmas Spirit - Julia Lee And Her Boy Friends
17. Christmas Night In Harlem - Louis Armstrong And His All-Stars
18. Hello Mr. New Year - The Coolbreezers

[northzax]

2. a couple of my faves...

"Christmas in Saint Paul" Last Train Home

"I'd Like an Elephant for Christmas" Hank Thompson

"to Heck with Ole Santa Claus" Loretta Lynn

[rucky]

3. Flaming Lips' "Christmas at the Zoo"

There wasn't any snow on Christmas eve and I knew what I
Should do, I thought I'd free the animals all locked up at the zoo
I opened up the fence where the peacocks were, the lamas were
Unleashed the snakes and seals could all get out, but they
Refused to leave....

All of the animals agreed they're not happy at the zoos
But they preferred to save themselves, they seemed to think
They could...

The elephants, orangutans, all the birds and kangaroos all said
Thanks but no thanks man, but to be concerned is good...

It started to snow on Christmas Eve in the middle of the night
Walkin through the state park zoo and everything is white...

[Lannes]

4. Donny Hathaway

This Christmas (semi-obscure)

Hang all the mistletoe
I'm gonna get to know you better, yeah
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it's gonna be together, yeah ha
This Christmas

Fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas, will be yeah
A very special Christmas, for me yeah

Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer and you, ohh yeah
This Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town, they do
This Christmas
Fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night

And this Christmas, will be
A very special Christmas, for me yeah

Alright, break it down, ha ha ha

Ooh yeah, yeah yeah, alright
Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah
Alright now, right now, now

Fireside, oh, is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night, yeah
And this Christmas, will be, oh
A very special Christmas, for me yeah
And this Christmas, will be
A very special Christmas, for me oh oh

Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Merry Christmas, ooh yeah
Gonna have a merry Christmas, ohh yeah, oh oh
Merry Christmas, oh it will be
Oh, a very very very special Christmas
A very special Christmas (this Christmas)
Alright now, right now, yeah oh
It will be now, oh (this Christmas)
Oh, this will be, this will be, baby
A very special
Have a merry merry Christmas (hey yeah)
And a happy New Year
Oh hey, alright, yeah yeah yeah
Merry Christmas
This Christmas
Oh this will be, this will be, baby

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. As a choir geek, I like the following:

1. O nata lux de lumine (O Light Born from Light) by Thomas Tallis

2. O Magnum Mysterium (O Great Mystery) in both the Tomas Luis de Victoria (Renaissance Spain) and Morten Lauridsen (modern California) settings

3. Bethlehem Down by Peter Warlock (early 20th century English)

"When he is king
We will give him the kings' gift
Myrrh for its sweetness and gold for a crown
Beautiful robes," said the young girl to Joseph
Fair with her firstborn on Bethlehem Down

Bethlehem Down is full of the starlight
Winds for the spices and stars for the gold
Mary for sleep and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold

When he is king, they will clothe him in gravesheets
Myrrh for embalming and wood for a crown
He that lies now in the white arms of Mary
Sleeping so lightly on Bethlehem Down

Here he has peace and a short while for dreaming
Close huddled oxen to keep him from cold
Mary for love and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem Fold

Here's an mp3 of an excerpt of a chlidren's choir singing it, although I think they're taking it too slow, and without the harmonies that we sang it with.

http://www.fcmg.org.uk/Music/Bethlehem%20Down.mp3

4. A Spotless Rose by Herbert Howells (mid -20th century English)

Can't find an mp3 of this one, but it's a favorite of choirs.

[khashka]

6. Lesser known ones

December Will Be Magic Again - KaTe Bush
Fairy Tale Of New York - Kirsty MacColl
Mary's Boy Child - Boney M
I'll Be Home For Christmas - KaTe's version


Khash.

[djeseru]

7. Cocteau Twins ~ "Let it Snow"

Normally, I'm not a holiday tunes-type person...

[CBHagman]

8. An eclectic collection.

"People, Look East" (An Advent song, but what the heck)

"Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day"

"The Angel Gabriel" (I prefer choirs to Sting :-))

"Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine"

"Shiloh" (My favorite version is by His Majestie's Clerkes, though I also have a version by the excellent Waverly Consort)

http://www.arches.uga.edu/~jabrown/shiloh.html

Lyrics:

Methinks I see a Heav'nly Host,
Of Angels on the Wing;
Methinks I hear their chearful Notes,
So merrily they sing:
'Let all your Fears be banish'd hence,
Glad Tidings I proclaim,
For there's a Saviour born to Day,
And Jesus is his Name.

Lay down your Crooks, and quit your Flocks,
To Bethlehem repair;
And let your wand'ring Steps be squared
By yonder shining Star.
Seek not in Courts or Palaces,
Nor royal Curtains draw;
But search the Stable, see your God
Extended on the Straw.

Then Learn from hence, ye rural Swains,
The Meekness of your God,
Who left the boundless Realms of Joy,
To ransom you with Blood.
The Master of the Inn refus'd
A more commodius Place;
Ungenerous Soul of savage Mould,
And destitute of Grace.

Exult ye Oxen, low for Joy,
Ye Tenants of the Stall,
Pay your Obeisance; on your Knees
Unanimously fall.
The Royal Guest you entertain
Is not of common Birth,
But second in the Great I am;
The God of Heav'n and Earth.'

Then suddenly a Heav'nly Host
Around the Shepherds throng,
Exulting in the threefold God
And thus address their Song:
'To God the Father, Christ the Son,
And Holy Ghost ador'd;
The First and Last, the Last and First,
Eternal Praise afford.

And a good DU carol is "The Rebel Jesus" by Jackson Browne.

And let's face it: "The St. Stephen's Day Murders" by Elvis Costello is a hoot.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. I forgot about Shiloh--

we sang that in church choir when I was in high school, and it was my introduction to early American music.

Oh, and we're singing "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day" at our Lessons and Carols service. :-)

[DanCa]

9. Domminick the Christmas Donkey and Joan Jett Lil Drummer Boy.

[njdemocrat106]

11. The Pretenders' "2000 Miles" is one of my favorites...

Other favorites: "Father Christmas" by the Kinks (materialistic and violent, but still funny), "Christmas All Over Again" by Tom Petty, Johnny Mathis' version of "Sleigh Ride", "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey (probably the only song that she's done I like), and Vanessa Williams' jazzy version of "What Child is This?".

[bertha katzenengel]

12. several - a wide variety

Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day

O Come Emmanuel

Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming

Carol of the Bells

and a fine little ee cummings poem set to music for chorus:

little tree

little tree
little silent Christmas tree
you are so little
you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest
and were you very sorry to come away?
see i will comfort you
because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark
and hug you safe and tight
just as your mother would
only don't be afraid

look the spangles
that sleep all the year in a dark box
dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine
the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads

put up your little arms
and i'll give them all to you to hold
every finger shall have its ring
and there won't a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed
you'll stand in the window for everyone to see
and how they'll stare!
oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands
and looking up at our beautiful tree
we'll dance and sing
"Noel Noel"

the memory of singing it is one of the best memories of my life

[Lydia Leftcoast]

14. What a lovely poem

:-)

[drhilarius]

13. "Christmas Time in Hollis" by Run DMC

It was December 24th on Hollis Ave after dark
When I see a man chilling with his dog in the park
I approached very slowly with my heart full of fear
Looked at his dog, oh my God, an illin' reindeer
But then I was illin' because the man had a beard
And a bag full of goodies, 12 o'clock had neared
So I turned my head a second and the man had gone
But he must have dropped his wallet smack down on the lawn
I picket the wallet up then I took a pause
Took out the license and it cold said "Santa Claus"
A million dollars in it, cold hundreds of G's
Enough to buy a boat and matching car with ease
But I'd never steal from Santa, cause that ain't right
So I was going home to mail it back to him that night
But when I got home I bugged, cause under the tree
Was a letter from Santa and the dough's for me

It's Christmas time in Hollis Queens
Mom's cooking chicken and collard greens
Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese
And Santa put gifts under Christmas trees
Decorate the house with lights at night
Snow's on the ground, snow white so bright
In the fireplace is the yule log
Beneath the mistle toe as we drink egg nog
The rhymes that you hear are the rhymes of Darryl's
But each and every year we bust Chrsitmas carols
(Christmas melodies)

Rhymes so loud and proud you hear it
It's Christmas time and we got the spirit
Jack Frost chillin, the orchids out
And that's what Christmas is all about
The time is now, the place is here
And the whole wide world is filled with cheer

My name's D.M.C. with the mic in my hand
And I'm chilling and coolin' just like a snowman
So open your eyes, lend us an ear
We want to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[Horus45]

15. Santa P & The Elves Experience

The whole CD is hilarious!

[tigereye]

16. various medieval and Renaissance Carols

like The Boars Head Carol and Wassail.

also motets from Anonymous Four. I love that type of Christmas music.

[tjdee]

17. Thanks everyone!

I'm working my way through the suggestions right now, yay music!

[lildreamer316]

25. Masters In This Hall!!!!!!

I Wonder as I Wander

[u4ic]

18. "Kissing by the Mistletoe" - Aretha Franklin

"Be a Santa" - don't know who it's by, it's an old record from my childhood

[Pool Hall Ace]

19. I like Jan Peerce's cover of 'Noel Nouvelet' ........n/t

[ucmike]

20. ramones "merry christmas, i don't want to fight tonight"

Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight with you

Where is Santa? At his sleigh?
Tell me why is it always this way?
Where is Rudolph? Where is Blitzen, baby?
Merry Christmas, merry merry merry Christmas

All the children are tucked in their beds
Sugar-plum fairies dancing in their heads
Snowball fighting, it's so exciting baby

I love you and you love me
And that's the way it's got to be
I loved you from the start
'Cause Christmas ain't the time for breaking each other's hearts

Where is Santa? At his sleigh?
Tell me why is it always this way?
Where is Rudolph? Where is Blitzen, baby?
Merry Christmas, merry merry merry Christmas

All the children are tucked in their beds
Sugar-plum fairies dancing in their heads
Snowball fighting, it's so exciting baby

Yeah, yeah, yeah

I love you and you love me
And that's the way it's got to be
I loved you from the start
'Cause Christmas ain't the time for breaking each other's hearts

Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight
Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight with you

[ucmike]

21. p.s. ramones cover of "what a wonderful world"

not really a christmas song, but it gets lots of holiday play.

[taterguy]

22. The Only Law That Santa Claus Understood

A twisted little ditty about Santa Claus getting drunk, losing a poker game and going on a shooting rampage. It was written by Ted Lyons and appears on a Chris Stamey album from the mid-80s.

[DiverDave]

23. The Kinks

"Father Christmas"

When I was small I believed in santa claus
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at christmas
Open my presents and I’d be glad

But the last time I played father christmas
I stood outside a department store
A gang of kids came over and mugged me
And knocked my reindeer to the floor

They said:
Father christmas, give us some money
Don’t mess around with those silly toys.
We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over
We want your bread so don’t make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Don’t give my brother a steve austin outfit
Don’t give my sister a cuddly toy
We don’t want a jigsaw or monopoly money
We only want the real mccoy

Father christmas, give us some money
We’ll beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father christmas, give us some money
Don’t mess around with those silly toys

But give my daddy a job ’cause he needs one
He’s got lots of mouths to feed
But if you’ve got one, I’ll have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids down the street

Father christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Have yourself a merry merry christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin’
While you’re drinkin’ down your wine

Father christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over
We want your bread, so don’t make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Oh, and Mr. Garrison singing "Merry Fucken Christmas"
Not PC, however, but pee your pants funny.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. Brave Combo

"It's Christmas, Man"

BEST Christmas CD ever. Really.