The Top Christmas Songs of All-Time: December 14

 We are a little more than halfway in our Christmas spectacular in 2011--The Top 200 Christmas Songs of All-Time*.  Here are eight more great ones:

"O Tannenbaum"

by Vince Guaraldi

This is  a German Christmas song which evolved from a traditional Folk song unrelated to Christmas.  By the middle of the 19th century, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree and sung as a carol.

Organist, teacher and composer Ernst Anschütz wrote the modern lyrics to the song in 1824.  A Tannenbaum is a fir tree, and Anschütz's yrics refer to the fir's evergreen quality as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.  The lyrics are based on a 16th-century Silesian Folk song called "Ach Tannenbaum" by Melchior Franck.  In 1819, August Zarnack wrote a tragic love song inspired by this folk song, contrasting the faithful fir tree with a faithless lover.  Anschütz added two verses of his own to the first, traditional verse, first associating the Folk song with Christmas.

Guaraldi's instrumental version is among those featured in the famous Christmas television special, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

"Christmas Eve Sarajevo" 

by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Here we have the magical group Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which has one of the best light shows you will ever see...anywhere.  This song is a medley of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Carol of the Bells" that was first released by the group Savatage as "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)".  TSO was a side project of several of the members of Savatage.  The subject of the medley has an interesting story as Paul O'Neill explained in Christianity Today.com:

        ...We heard about this cello player born in

          Sarajevo many years ago who left when he 

          was fairly young to go on to become a 

          well-respected musician, playing with

          various symphonies throughout Europe. 

          Many decades later, he returned to 

         Sarajevo as an elderly man—at the height 

         of the Bosnian War, only to find his city in

         complete ruins.

         I think what most broke this man's heart 

         was that the destruction was not done by 

         some outside invader or natural disaster—

         it was done by his own people. At that time, 

        Serbs were shelling Sarajevo every night. 

        Rather than head for the bomb shelters like 

        his family and neighbors, this man went to 

        the town square, climbed onto a pile of 

        rubble that had once been the fountain,

        took out his cello, and played Mozart and

       Beethoven as the city was bombed.

"Where Are You Christmas?"

 by Faith Hill

This great song was written by James Horner and Will Jennings and sung by Taylor Momsen in the great movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey, in 2000.  Mariah Carey co-wrote a longer version and originally recorded it, but because of a legal matter with her ex-husband Tommy Mottola could not release it.  So she gave it to Faith Hill, who did an excellent job with it and it is that song that you hear over the closing credits.  

 

 "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day"

by Three Irish Tenors

This trio began in 1998 for a PBS television special The Irish Tenors.  Declan Kelly, Anthony Kearns and Ronan Tynan recorded five such specials and eight albums as Three Irish Tenors.

This song contains some of the most important and best lyrics of all Christmas songs, acknowledging the tragedy that was the American Civil War while also expressing optimism that we will come out of it OK. 

The song is based on the 1863 poem "Christmas Bells" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and tells the story of hearing Christmas bells during that senseless war.  While the narrator acknowledges that "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men", he concludes with the message that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep".

Obviously from the debacle that was "the Trump Administration", the hate is still very much alive.  But rather than see progress from each of these disasters as if they are a straight line on a graph, it is much more accurate to see history as a constant ebb and flow; that while we came out of the American Civil War with legislation and good social progress, evil always gravitates to the weak-minded, and people of the world will always have to deal with low-life's in society such as Trump supporters.  

So while 70% of America and 95% of the world cannot understand how people could be filled with so much hate, the overlying message is that, just as we came out of the Civil War with good will that lasted decades, so will we after the Trump supporters die off.  Even though Trump supporters mock God's message of love, God is not dead.  

"River"

by Sarah McLachlan

This song about the recent breakup of a romantic relationship is the second-most covered of all of Joni Mitchell's great songs.  McLachlan does a great job with it here.

"Winter Wonderland"

by Michael Bublé

Bublé created a sensation with his 2011 release Christmas.  A number one album the world over, it has topped 16 million in sales.  Although this song was not originally included on the album, it has since been added to re-releases.

 

 "I'll Be Home For Christmas"

by Elvis Presley

This song was first copyrighted on August 24, 1943 as soldiers first thought they would be home for Christmas, then realized it would be "in my dreams".  Kent and James Gannon wrote the song, first recorded by Bing Crosby.  But it is this version by Elvis that has taken over in popularity.

 

"Joy To The World"

by Anne Murray

Anne Murray checks in again with her great version of this Christmas classic.  Somehow Murray gives it great empathy and sincerity because she is singing from the heart.

And now you have all the hope and promise of the Christmas season to carry with you the rest of the day!