Does the world need more Christmas songs?

With Thanksgiving 2019 behind us, retailers’ obligatory Christmas promotions have pushed away the last remnants of turkey, pie, gherkins and Pilgrims. From now through December 26 — the day after Christmas — we will see and hear Christmas promotions of all kinds — including music promos.

Each year Eileen’s cousin, Tom, sends her a CD of his current favorite Christmas music. Listening in the car to Tom’s 2019 Christmas CD, we heard some good music.

For my taste, most of the music reinforced my longstanding feeling that we really don’t need many of these Christmas song remakes. The world already has definitive recordings of many Christmas classics, such as Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song.”

If those were the only recordings of those two songs — that would be fine. Wouldn’t it be alright to have only the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s original version of the “Linus and Lucy” song from Charlie Brown’s Christmas? It’s a classic.

If someone can remake and equal or add to a classic Christmas song — that’s okay. It’s the song remakes showing up on the Artist of the Moment obligatory Christmas (aka Holiday) albums that usually fall short. I’m talking about throwaway remakes of Christmas songs done countless times.

Another pet peeve are the knockoff blues Christmas ditty’s with song titles like, “Six-Pack Santa,” “Rockin’ Rudolph,” or “Lookin’ for the Meaning of Christmas (in My Pickup Truck).”

Mercifully, songwriters are still writing and recording Christmas songs I think are destined to be classics.

What makes a Christmas song classic? There is really no one formula. I prefer Christmas songs that capture the meaning and the spirit of Christmas. It is the day Jesus Christ was born to bring forgiveness of our sins.

“I’ll Be Home For Christmas” could be my favorite Christmas song. It is certainly high on my list. Written in 1943, this World War II song was “originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time,” according to Wikipedia. My strongest Christmas memories are times with family and close friends. As time passes, and as family and friends pass too, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” captures the impossible longing to relive those times except “in my dreams.”

From Jesus’ birth, to all of the lifelong memories of Christmas — mostly good, some bad — there is so much inspiration from the human condition from which songwriters can create great Christmas songs.

Eileen helped me put together a short list of contemporary classic Christmas songs written in or after 1990 — our arbitrary baseline. And why are we doing this? Why am I writing about this? Simply a longing for more good Christmas music, with a hope of spreading the word, bringing songs this Christmas that may be new to you.

1. Mary, Did You Know? Country artist Kathy Mattea was the first I heard performing this song.
2. My Grownup Christmas List. Originally sung by Natalie Cole.
3. Where Are You Christmas? Eileen likes Faith Hill’s version.
4. All I Want For Christmas. A signature Mariah Carey tune.
5. Please Come Home For Christmas. The Eagles!
6. Let It Be Christmas. Alan Jackson

Eileen thinks Montgomery-Gentry’s “Christmas From the Family” is a classic. It’s a fun song, but in my opinion, not a classic.

We agreed “Santa Got Run Over By a Reindeer” is a classic Christmas song. But neither of us really wanted to add it to our list.

Maybe this is the start of a Christmas Song board game. Who knows! It could be a classic.

Scott K. Fish has served as a communications staffer for Maine Senate and House Republican caucuses, and was communications director for Senate President Kevin Raye. He founded and edited AsMaineGoes.com and served as director of communications/public relations for Maine’s Department of Corrections until 2015. He is now using his communications skills to serve clients in the private sector.