For those unfortunate enough to be working today – or any other day, come to that – today’s Christmas songs will hopefully give you a smile or two. I’ve shared both in previous years, but I think they both stand up to another airing.
The first is one of the funniest videos I’ve come across for a Christmas song:
You might need to watch that more than once to get all of the jokes, there are so many packed into it. The Dropkick Murphys are an American ‘Celtic punk’ band, from Boston, who clearly revel in their Irish roots, and I love this video. The lead singer, Ken Casey, doesn’t have a voice for lullabies but it is well suited to this one! The band has been going since 1996, and Casey is the only original member still there. Their other videos are fun, too, if you want to follow up on them.
Today’s second song is an old favourite of mine. I was introduced to Tom Lehrer’s songs by a schoolfriend’s father, somewhere around 1970, and I’ve loved them ever since. Who couldn’t relate to the man who gave us such gems as Poisoning Pigeons In The Park, or the beautiful (i.e. gruesome) love song I Hold Your Hand In Mine? This is what he did with Christmas:
Tom’s peak performing days were in the 50s and 60s, after which he mostly gave it up to devote his time to teaching mathematics and musical theatre history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, from which he retired in 2001. I think I’d have enjoyed maths more if I’d had a teacher like him! He is still with us, at the ripe old age of 92, I’m glad to say. Quite a few of his songs are of the political satire variety: he was quoted in 1973 as saying that political satire was dead after Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, so I wonder what his take on current US and world politics would be! He once remarked that he only wrote 37 songs and performed 109 shows across a twenty year period: we are lucky that those songs and live performances live on in his records.
After those two songs, what could I round off today with? How about this?
See you tomorrow 🎅
Hi Clive – Tom Lehrer is funny! And interesting to read that he retired in 2001 – side note – I used to live in the San Jose / Los Gatos / Santa Cruz area in 2002 and we would sometimes have celebrity sightings – or you would run into folks at a grocery store and could feel they had a career that was in public life. And met a few guys who just had that air about them and on one of the Santa Cruz trios we made I could have been side by side with him as he was first year In retirement – well if he stayed in that area after teaching and maybe not- just thinking of my own timeline when you mention little artist facts!
And that first sing was funny – you were right – really funny!
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Thanks, Yvette. You may well have seen Tom, had you but known it. As far as I know he stayed in the same area after retiring – you’d need to factor in the intervening years to compare him with the image on the video, though!
I love the Dropkicks video, it has so much crammed into it!
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🙂
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I am enjoying your daily advent calendar and the intro to a few artists I haven’t listened to before…Thank you, Clive I have enjoyed them all 🙂
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Thank you, Carol – and for following. I’ll return the compliment. Glad you’re enjoying them.
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Thank you, Clive.. Yes I am I like your musical choices 😊
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I lobbed the Dropkick Murphy’s! Very popular in my neck of the woods ( outskirts of Boston)
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That was supposed to say ‘love’!! Fat fingers from too many mince pies…
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No worries, I managed to work it out!
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It’s their home territory, I think? I bet their live shows are a hoot!
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Excellent humor all around. The first video was hilarious, but I also enjoyed the second one. Being the musical wizard you are, you probably know the story behind how the band got its name—Dropkick Murphy’s?
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I tried to brighten up a Monday which here was dank and misty- as it is again today! Yes, I know: possibly the only band to be named after a guy running an alcohol detox facility!
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I knew you’d know. You should be doing a musical trivia radio show.
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Thank you, but there are plenty of blogs written by people far more knowledgeable than I. A radio show would be good, though…
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I also enjoy the dropkick Murphys and this was a great video. I think my favorite part was the priest gambling with the Sunday collection. Everyone seem to be having a good time, I just would not want to be in charge of cleaning up the next day!
And I’ve heard a few Tom Lehrer songs and like this one I’ve enjoyed them all. Creative guy.
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It’s one of their best, I think. Tom Lehrer is a very clever man – his creative use of words is impressive for a mathematician 😉
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I guess ‘Tom is one of the few who has an active left brain and right brain.
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It would seem so. A clever man.
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Very funny, though I prefer the Tom Lehrer. I had an album of his, in the 60s. I still remember some of ‘I hold your hand in mine’.. Let’s see… I hold your hand in mine, dear, I put it to my lips, I take a (something) bite from your dainty fingertips, my joy would be complete dear, if you were only here, instead I keep your hand as a (something) souvenier…
!! 😉
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A more refined taste, I think! Your memory is good: I listened to it again this morning while I was preparing this and that’s pretty close to perfect. I love the bit where he moans that when he takes a bite he gets blood on his tie 😊
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Haha, Clive, that first song is a riot. I love the Catholic Father gamboling with the collection. Great post!
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Thanks, Robbie, glad you enjoyed it 👍
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Ha ha, the Dropkick Murphys’ song is very funny! Sounds like something The Dubliners would sing.
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They have an Irish background so the comparison is well-made. They packed so much into the video: I’ve watched it loads of times and still see visual gags I’d not noticed before.
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