Christmas songs that bring laughter or smiles, the best medicine

Nuttin for Christmas?  ACEO

They say that Laughter is the best medicine and I will go a bit further and suggest that even smiles are a great prescription.  Along these lines I have gathered together a list of songs of the Christmas season that may evoke a giggle or two and at the very least, a smile.

“Nuttin for Christmas.”  This song, originally sung in 1955 by 7-year old Barry Gordon will surely make you nod your head and smile.  Written jointly by Sid Tepper and Roy Bennett and performed by the Art Mooney Orchestra with Barry singing the vocals, it surely will bring back memories of trying your darndest to be good so Santa won’t leave you with “nuttin.”  Cute!

“The twelve pains of Christmas.”  12 days of Christmas parodies are simply everywhere.  There are so many parodies of this popular Christmas classic that I simply cannot list them all.  One that stands out in my mind is the one by Bob Rivers titled  “The twelve pains of Christmas.”  Give it a listen.  You may not agree with all of them, but I think you may nod your head knowingly at a few.

“Santa Lost a HO.” You will interpret this song in one of two ways. If your mind is more childlike like mine you will take it in a very innocent way. Of course those of you (and you know who you are) with minds in other places may take it in a much different way. 

“Snoopy’s Christmas.” In the late 60’s a Band called The Royal Guardsmen recorded several songs inspired by Snoopy, the beagle in the comic strip “Peanuts.”  There were four in all but one of the most popular was Snoopy’s Christmas.”  It told of a battle between Snoopy and his archenemy The Red Baron and how on Christmas the infamous baron makes Snoopy land and surprisingly gives him a Christmas present.  I still remember how I felt when the Red Baron utters the words,  “Merry Christmas mine friend.’  It still makes me smile.  The original band broke up in 1969 but the song lives on.

“You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch.”  You need to sing this one to your favorite Grinch clone.  This song was included in the TV special “How the Grinch stole Christmas.”  Almost everyone knows the Dr. Suess (Theodor Geisel) story so I won’t give a synopsis here. If you don’t, shame on you, you need to take a trip to the local library and check out the children’s book. The song goes through several comparisons of unpleasant things in reference to the Grinch.  Although Boris Karloff narrated, Thurl Ravenscroft sang the song.

“Grandma got run over by a reindeer.”  This 1979 song by Elmo and Pasty Shropshire is little ghoulish for me but some people find it funny.

“Merry Christmas from the family.” By Montgomery Gentry is another along the lines of the previous entry.  It’s a little dysfunctional but its heart is in the right place.

Did you know that a second grade music teacher in 1944 wrote the song, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth?” It seemed that every child in his class had a lisp due to the loss of teeth, so what better thing to wish for.  Guess that song practically wrote itself. 

Although it is child’s song, the Catholic Church once banned “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus” because it contained references to kissing and Christmas!! The young vocalist, Jimmy Boyd managed to meet with the archdiocese and had the ban lifted.  Boy things have sure changed since 1952!

There you have it, my list of Christmas songs that may brighten this season just a bit more.  Well, its snowing outside now, so I guess I will just sit down in front of the fireplace, turn on the Christmas lights and heat up some hot cocoa.

J