When most people think about the holiday season, they have the same mindset as Andy Williams, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” However, this sentiment is not universal. From Christmas-themed horror movies to visually disturbing decorations, the media has often, intentionally or not, portrayed Christmas time as less wonderful and more emotionally distressing. Some of the undertones of the Christmas season have been portrayed through jaunty tunes whose lyrics are not very closely examined. Here are a few of these songs in no particular order.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a harrowing tale of exclusion and bullying. In this song, Rudolph, a young, innocent reindeer, is viciously shunned by his peers because he possesses a physical abnormality. The malicious song ends only when Rudolph’s red nose becomes useful to Santa and, therefore, acceptable to those around him. Rudolph’s sad story is set to a cheerful tune and supplemented with interjections proclaiming his nose was “like a lightbulb!” It presents a confusing narrative that leads the listener to believe this song is joyful rather than a sad story of the cruel persecution of a child.
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch:
On the topic of bullying, this song is a special form of cyberbullying. I assume that most people have seen The Grinch. If you haven’t, that’s kind of sad. Being scarred by the Jim Carrey version is a very important childhood experience. Either way, the Grinch had a very sad childhood that morphed him into the (person?) he is today. Instead of taking him to therapy and helping him to overcome his trauma, we instead play into the atrocious stereotypes perpetuated by the general population and sing a rousing chorus about everything that is wrong with him. Obviously, no one taught the writers of this song empathy. What makes it even worse is that in the end, when someone gives him a chance, he turns out to be a very nice being. I don’t know why “Cindy Lou Who, who was not more than two,” had to be the one to befriend him, though. I feel like having some friends who are fellow adults would be good for the Grinch. Regardless, this song is a cruel anthem that should strike a chord of sadness in the hearts of all who hear it.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town:
Santa Claus is Coming to Town was the song that disturbed me the most as a child. The whole idea of this tune is that all the little kids better be good because there’s a fat old man who is constantly observing everything they do at all hours of the day, and on December 25th he’s going to break into their houses. This song really made me question Santa as a child because, when you phrase it like that, it is very strange on multiple levels, especially since we all know that Santa is 100% real. Personally, at my ancient age of “almost an adult,” if I heard this song without the name “Santa” in it, not a part of my brain would be thinking, “oh, how nice and jolly.” This song reminds me of the hauntingly cheerful opening of a cold-case documentary, and for that reason, I consider it emotionally distressing.
Frosty the Snowman:
Frosty the Snowman is just sad. It tells the tragic tale of a snowman magically constructed by a group of happy children. Frosty then goes on adventures with the kids and makes priceless, joyful memories. Then the children’s friend slowly withers away and dies in front of their very eyes. Delightful, is it not? The story is only made sweeter and endearing by the movie, during which Frosty is intentionally targeted and destroyed by an insecure magician over a mere garment. For some reason, this song has become notable for its holiday magic and sentimental value, but in reality, it’s a very sad story about the circle of life. Nothing ever lasts forever, especially snow and friendships. Merry Christmas!
Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer:
I really don’t feel like much needs to be said here. The title is fairly self-explanatory and articulates the song’s main topic. To fully grasp why this song is traumatic, first imagine waking up on Christmas morning. You’re not having the best year, maybe there was a recent death in the family, or a loved one is in the hospital, and you just know it’s going to be a hard Christmas. You turn on the first Christmas Spotify playlist you encounter in an attempt to cheer yourself up with some happy holiday tunes. Instead, you hear “It’s not Christmas without Grandma/ All the family’s dressed in black,” and suddenly the only thing you can think of is “should we open up her gifts or send them back? (send them back!)” Now, I’m sure some people will defend this song as just a silly Christmas song because it’s “not that deep.” To those people, I say, get on your school-issued computer and search up this silly little children’s song’s lyrics and examine them for yourself. Except, wait, you can’t because the district blocked it. They are trying to tell us something. Either that, or they just hate Christmas because it makes us spend less time trying to understand definite integrals. I could see that going both ways.
Honorable Mention – O’ Holy Night:
I personally disagree with this one. However, Zuriel Nyamutsaka (12) considers O’ Holy Night, “It reminds me of the church scene from Home Alone.” Max Tippey (12) seconds this sentiment, calling the song “solemn.”
Overall, Christmas songs aren’t always super happy or cheerful. Sometimes they’re sad or just generally concerning. Next time you go caroling, double-check the lyrics of the songs you are singing to make sure that the message you are singing is one that you really want to promote. I sincerely apologize for ruining your childhood.
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night” – Santa C.
