Monday, November 20, 2006

seasonal music

Jason has spent the past few weeks in eager preparation for playing as much Christmas music as possible immidiately if not sooner. As long as I don't spend too much time in malls or drug stores during the next few weeks, I'll share his enthusiasm. There's a sufficient variety of seasonal music out there that, if done right, you will will hear a little bit of everything over the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

At the same time, it does seem a pity that we don't have a few traditional Thanksgiving tunes. I've been wracking my brains (too much time in the car today - 200 miles) and I've only come up with two: the university football team fight song of your choice and the hymn "We Gather Together."

I know the words (most of them) to two U fight songs, UMich and Georgia Tech. Both a nice, rousing "yay team" tunes, but neither mentions turkey or family.

"We Gather" starts out well - "We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing" OK, that's good. Then then we get "He hastens and chastens His will to make known." I've had plenty of hastening and chastening this year and am no closer to knowing His will. "The wicked oppressing" - eeek! Quickly we enter less cozy territory. Are there any seasonal tunes that are a tad more, well, positive? Thankful?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Harvest Home" and "Faith of our Fathers" are two other tunes I associate with Thanksgiving. The former is a favorite around here. One of my favorite versions is performed by Celtic fusion band Steeleye Span on their best album, Sails of Silver in a set with another pretty tune called marigold. You may find the lyrics here.

torporindy said...

I thought over the river and through the woods was a thanksgiving song, but I looked it up and it mentions christmas

Jim Wetzel said...

lemming -- in advance, please forgive me. But I must now bust out that Adam Sandler seasonal favorite, "The Thanksgiving Song:"

Turkey for me
Turkey for you
Let's eat the turkey
In my big brown shoe
Love to eat the turkey
At the table
I once saw a movie
With Betty Grable
Eat that turkey
All night long
Fifty million Elvis fans
Can't be wrong
Turkey lurkey doo and
Turkey lurkey dap
I eat that turkey
Then I take a nap

Thanksgiving is a special night
Jimmy Walker used to say "dyn-o-mite"
That's right!
Turkey with gravy and cranberry
Can't believe the Mets traded Darryl Strawberry
Turkey for you and
Turkey for me
Can't believe Tyson
Gave that girl VD

White meat, dark meat
You just can't lose
I fell off my moped
And I got a bruise
Turkey in the oven
And the buns in the toaster
I'll never take down
My Cheryl Tiegs poster
Wrap the turkey up
In aluminum foil
My brother likes to masturbate
With baby oil
Turkey and sweet potato pie
Sammy Davis jr.
Only had one eye

Turkey for the girls and
Turkey for the boys
My favorite kind of pants
Are corduroys
Gobble gobble goo and
Gobble gobble gickel
I wish turkey
Only cost a nickel
Oh I love turkey on Thanksgiving ...

Well, is that out of place, or not?

Hugh said...

I agree with Harriet, "Come Ye Thankful People, Come" is the T-day hymn par excellence. I even remember singing it in (public!) school in my youth.

Alison said...

Might I weigh in with "Alice's Restaurant?" Beats the heck out of "Over the River and Through the Woods."

Drewster said...

torporindy, it seems to me that the vast majority have the lyric has Thanksgiving Day and a few have placed Christmas Day in its place. The majority also list "grandfather's house" vs. "grandmother's house".

All mention pumpkin pie which is a harvest and Thanksgiving Day mainstay.

Susan Egan has a new song on her new winter holiday album. "Turkey and the Stuffing" but it is very modern and very Manhattan.

Joe said...

How could I have forgotten Alice's Restaurant?!? See, that's why I need her around...

The little guy in my iPod nominated "Calling All The Children Home", which isn't actually a Thanksgiving song per se but is about a big happy safe family gathering.

Jason said...

I find it difficult to sing after eating 12 pounds of turkey. If you're singing Thanksgiving songs, then you're not eating enough!

BTW, I have over 14 hours of Christmas music being shuffled on my computer.