I shiver when I see the falling snow

December 25, 2013 10:29 AM

It's gonna be a blue Christmas: Merle Haggard - If We Make it Through December

Here we are again with a musical buffet,
This time a touch melancholy, if that's okay
So sit on a Yule log, have some egg nog and cocoa
Join me in celebration of sad sounds and aching vocals
If it's been for you, as it has for me, a long and weary year,
maybe these sounds of Christmas comfort can bring you tiny bits of cheer.
Because, no matter where you stand, it's as good a time as any to look at each other, smile and share.

Hem - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Shawn Colvin - In the Bleak Mid-Winter
Buck Owens - Christmas Ain't Christmas
Strawberry Whiplash - Santa Needs A Holiday
Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas
Han Hui-Jeong - Blue Christmas
Asobi Seksu - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)
Frightened Rabbit - She Screams Christmas
Fountains of Wayne - Man in the Santa Suit
Neil Halstead - Home for the Season
Merle Haggard - Daddy Won't be Home Again for Christmas
Calexico - Green Grows the Holly
The Weepies - All That I Want
John Prine - Christmas in Prison
The Coral - Walking in the Winter
Danielle Ate the Sandwich - Flat Screens
Ohbijou - Last Christmas
Anamanaguchi - All I Want 4 Xmas is U
Mogwai - Christmas Steps
Fruit Bats - It's Beginning to Look like Christmas
We Shot the Moon - Feliz Navidad
Loreena Mckennitt - Snow
Yo La Tengo - It's Christmas Time
Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

posted by byanyothername (22 comments total)

Man, this is nice! Thanks for putting it together.
posted by notsnot at 10:37 AM on December 25, 2013

Dead by Christmas - Hanoi Rocks
posted by dortmunder at 11:13 AM on December 25, 2013

Darren Hanlon - Spend Christmas Day with Me (live)
posted by Monsieur Caution at 11:26 AM on December 25, 2013

George Jones - Lonely Christmas Call
Everly Brothers - Christmas Eve Can Kill You
Kitty Wells - Christmas Ain't Like Christmas Anymore
Brenda Lee - Christmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day
posted by entropicamericana at 11:32 AM on December 25, 2013

I personally prefer this live performance and have been posting it everywhere lately:

Merle Haggard and the Strangers, Live 1978: If We Make It Through December

It surprises me that I like this song so much, because I can't stand country music and especially Merle Haggard. But I recently saw this song posted on a political blog, which asserted it was an anthem of the 1973 recession. I approve. That was the recession that shaped my era, and created the misery we rebelled against as punk rockers. A couple of weeks ago, I had to restrain myself from singing this song to everyone, when I got laid off down at the factory.
posted by charlie don't surf at 11:52 AM on December 25, 2013 [3 favorites]

Low - Just Like Christmas (which has been covered more widely than I'd expected)
Superchunk - A Child's Christmas in Wales - (which is a John Cale number but I've been in a Superchunk mood)
and from the Mark Lanegan Christmas EP: Down in Yon Forest
posted by ardgedee at 12:33 PM on December 25, 2013 [2 favorites]

If you're in the mood for Christmas radio and have a distaste of the usual warhorses, Soma FM has all points covered:
Christmas Rocks!
Christmas Lounge
Christmas in Frisco (nsfw)
posted by ardgedee at 12:36 PM on December 25, 2013

You missed Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas"!
posted by easily confused at 12:43 PM on December 25, 2013

I'm a skybo
That's a new kind of hobo for planes

- Haggard
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:49 PM on December 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

Christmas In Jail - The Youngsters
Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas - The Staple Singers
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:20 PM on December 25, 2013

Christmas in Prison by John Prine, and as covered by the Mountain Goats
posted by troubles at 1:24 PM on December 25, 2013

ack. I see that it's already there. Well, there's the Mountain Goats version too.
posted by troubles at 1:26 PM on December 25, 2013

A recession! We would have killed to have a recession. We were woken up at 5 AM. Instead of breakfast, we got a beating from Spiro Agnew.
posted by thelonius at 1:45 PM on December 25, 2013 [2 favorites]

My favorite: Christmas Eve Can Kill You by the Everly Brothers (1971).
posted by NoMich at 1:52 PM on December 25, 2013

My contribution: All I Ever Get for Christmas is Blue, by Over the Rhine.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 3:18 PM on December 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

Obligatory SMBC
posted by jeffburdges at 4:09 PM on December 25, 2013

Steve Earle: Christmas in Washington.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:07 PM on December 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

Harvey Danger - Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas
New from The Killers: Christmas in LA
No Fairytale of New York? C'mon Metafilter, I expected better.
Just for Now - Imogen Heap
posted by zabuni at 5:59 PM on December 25, 2013

Pedro the Lion - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
posted by IfIShouldEverComeBack at 7:50 PM on December 25, 2013

I guess it's a little late for the occasion this year, but some guy on NPR the other day described this one as his nuclear option for sad Christmas music, SouthPark's Dead, dead, dead.
posted by mcrandello at 10:29 PM on December 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

I wish there was a playlist generator that would grab all the youtube links on a page and start playing them in succession....
posted by surplus at 1:44 PM on December 26, 2013

Counting Crows - A Long December
The Mountain Goats - This Year
posted by Bron at 9:30 AM on December 27, 2013