Freddie King's Christmas Tears
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Artist:
The holidays have never been a favorite time of year for me. I don't mind them much, anymore. I just barrel through the season, tip my hat as a holiday passes, and generally, no one gets hurt. If anything, it means at least one day of sleeping in. Hallelujah and Hail Mary to that!
You know, aside from all of the average holiday pressure to be relentlessly happy--to be part of that family on the postcard--I think what kills the holiday season for so many folks are those tired, tame seasonal songs that we bear an annual bombardment of from every store, post office, cab, and yes, even in public restrooms we get no sanctity. Worse, still, than the tried and true carols of yore, we have the modern, blasphemous pop divas and clean shaven cowboys who insist upon adding upwards of sixteen unnecessary tones between each written note of the old standards, somehow making that poor bastard reindeer's theme song more annoying than when a choir of nine-year-olds tortured some unfortunate studio engineer with it in the 50s. Astounding.
For many years, that shit alone made me dread Christmas. It wasn't until I moved to the South that I discovered that good Christmas music does, indeed, exist. Now, this could come as a bit of a shock to you, and I probably wouldn't pay much attention to you if you weren't skeptical about this...but I'm going to let you in on a little secret taught to me by an unsung hero--a man by the name of Ike Carter: the place to find good holiday music is the blues, baby, and jazz. Oooh, so good.
Heartbroken and lonely on the holidays? Hesitant to sponge up all of that holiday cheer? Legendary bluesman Freddie King is too, and instead of jingling his merry bits and prancing around some spruce tree, he's singing the blues about his Christmas Tears. And he's singing them blues for us. That, my friends, is a gift from on high.
Enjoy #5 in the Erin Digs It series...just in the (saint) nick o' time: Freddie King's Christmas Tears.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (8)
Well Hallelujah and Hail Mary to that! Your post made me smile. Good writing. Enjoy the holiday as best you can:-)
The reality of my Christmas this year bites the big one, give me Dolly Parton & Rod Stewert singing "Baby It's Cold Outside" over any dirgy blues number. I love 'em the rest of the year just not for Christmas.
I did grow up with that large-family-Christmas-postcard-happiness but as I get older life has taken it's toll on my family and friends and myself and I find that come mid November each year I look forward to those incredibly sappy songs because it reminds me of how things used to be and not how things are today.
Regardless of what I just said, I understand your sentiment and I really like the tune I'll just wait a few weeks before I feel up to listening to the blues again.
Thanks E, Sleep well.
Sad Dachmo. I have a few "sappy" songs and posts over at my page if you're so inclined.
I've been divorced, lost my career job twice, dealt with a chid with dangerous tendencies, missed my Dad's funeral, missed my Mom's passing, and moved into 12 houses during my lifetime. (which ain't over yet though) So i can relate.
Christmas is about the hope that still exists, and doesn't have to be in the past.
Keep goin'.
you are one literate lady
for some reason my ears have been very sensitive to the sappy holiday songs of yore this year
a man dressed as a grinch should give out earplugs in the lobby of all dept. stores during the shopping season
The relentlessly cheery and/or pious Christmas bombardment is one reason I'm so enamored of Xmas mash-ups that deconstruct the musical clichés. Totally empathized with your well-wrought essay - and Freddie! Plowing straight through to 2009!
ya im ready for this holiday madness to be over. new years couldnt come faster!
I've saved it for new year's eve, but that is one delightful song. When I was in Japan I bought 3 compilation CDs - one of Christmas Blues and two of Christmas Jazz. All old tunes that had been lovingly compiled by local fanatics. Although we spread the Christmas tuneage around the styles and genres, it's those 3 CDs that get the most play. Thanks for that taste of a King.
There is no relation between Freddie and Albert King. Or B.B., for that matter. Freddie King's real last name is Christian.