Favorite Christmas Carols to Get Me in Christmas Mood

I've written about those Christmas carols that I loathe in prior years.  No need to rehash.  But since the radio that plays 24-7 Yuletide jams seems intent to only play the same 12 songs over and over again, I've decided to be my own D.J. and post here for your listening pleasure, my favorite of all time Christmas songs. 

1. We Need A Little Christmas. Perry Faith and Orchestra version.

Yes.  I love this chestnut from the K-mart special record of only chestnuts.  Yes I know Glee did a new version but I don't care.

From sixth grade on, I remember longing to be picked as one of Santa's dancers for the annual Christmas show.  They wore red leotards with red skirts trimed in white and santa hats and a touch of glitter on their eyes.  They all had long hair.  I thought they were amazing. 


This was the best version I could find. This is a listening post, not a visual one. Sorry.

Needless to say, this dream went unfulfilled but I still see the dance that I practiced in my bedroom with the eternal Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer --Sherry the short short haired tinsel teethed clumsy dancer hopes whenever it gets airtime.


2. All I Want for Christmas

This one gets me bopping without the embarrasment of emotional adolescent baggage.  It may be the 2007 equivalent of We Need A Little Christmas, (after all, she's got the same outfit) with Mariah Carey taking the place of Perry Faith and the Orchestra/Chorus but I like the song.  The video almost (almost kills it for me).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXQViqx6GMY

3. Mary's Boy Child

This is just a gorgeous reinvention of old songs.  I wish I knew how to play the steel drums or could sing so I could join in.  I do anyway, just when only those children who can't tell anyone are around. 



The song minus the german intro had them clad in white fake fur.
So while the floating candles are a bit funky and the fog at their feet, in all honesty, I'm basing these on the songs themselves, not the videos. Attention family who might be reading this... please do NOT see this list as a request for a white fur trimmed anything! 

4. Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by BNL with Sarah MacLachlan

Okay, I'm not taking any chances.  Here's a straight shot. No video to speak of, and we won't speak of those others.  A CD cover and the music and that's it.  I don't want all my favorites scarred by strangeness. 


It's my oldest two's favorite song too so we all join in for that one.

And my all time favorite that no one thankfully has royally messed up yet...

Martina McBride sang this in 1992 and it was the first time I'd really heard it.  For me, it stopped time.  I love every version I've ever heard since.  The school where I worked was doing a Christmas show and the deaf students from the 5th and 6th grade signed it and I got to hear and see it practiced every morning while I was feeding my students breakfast in the cafeteria.  It was a great way to prepare for Advent.   However, the only version I could find of her singing it was within a 10 minute interview, so you'll have to content yourself with Josh Groban.  Not too shabby. 



Hope it helped create a bit of Christmas cheer. I feel better having listened to it, though I may have to scrub the vision of Mariah Carey frolicking in the snow with Santa from my brain. I'm off to don my red santa hat trimmed with fur and encourage the kids to set up the tree.

And a new one sent to me by a friend via email. Thanks Theresa!