Christmas for Grinches - Because Not Everyone is a Sugarplum Fairy

Who doesn't love a sad Christmas song? The overly cheery, disgustingly heart-warming holiday advertisements that make you cry (here's looking at you, John Lewis) can wear on you after awhile, mostly because the hopeful enthusiasm you had as a 7 year old has given way to grumpy cynicism, heralded by new responsibilities like rent, car payments, and a full-time job (if you're lucky). After an 8 hour day of listening to soft-rock holiday song covers at the office, you need something a bit darker, and a bit closer to home.

Image courtesy of Seuss.wikia.com

White Christmas! (by Irving Berlin)

I don't care if I'm a week too early for Christmas music. I started 3 weeks ago (and so have many musicians in preparation for concerts and recitals), and I've been barely holding in the sparkly snowflakes, frosted sugar cookies, and loudly sung carols. I am literally bursting with Christmas cheer. (Maybe not literally, physically bursting, but you can safely assume that I am emotionally consumed with thoughts of sugarplum faries, John Lewis adverts, and eggnog.) From now until December 25th, we're going to take a look at the origins and evolutions of popular holiday music. Today, we discuss "White Christmas," the impossibly successful ballad by Irving Berlin.

Irving Berlin, photo courtesy of MusicalReviewer.com