| Track of the Week - 12/24/07 |
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"Weird Al" Yankovich - Christmas at Ground Zero
Listen to Christmas at Ground Zero on Rhapsody
Well, 'tis the holiday season and all of that, so I guess I'll get in the holiday spirit myself. Horror and Christmas are a bit of an odd mixture, but it has been pulled off before. In films, we had the excellent Bob Clark's Black Christmas (ironically who pulled off one of the best non-horror Christmas films ever with A Christmas Story) and the opposite of excellent with the recent remake. Joe Dante even took on the theme for Gremlins and Tim Burton gave us The Nightmare Before Christmas for good measure. Then there was Silent Night, Deadly Night and Part 2 and 3 and 4... Before that, there was Silent Night, Bloody Night and Christmas Evil. Recently we have had Jack Frost 1 & 2 and even the cleverly (or not) named Santa Claws. Okay, so not all Christmas "classics," but there has been a few gems.
As far as music, we are a bit more limited. Sure, there have been a few attempts at mixing musical holiday glee with a killing spree, but they tend to be interesting for maybe one or two listens. Personally, I think it is a shame. There really needs to be some counter-programming for those of us who tire of the bombardment of musical yuletide cheer that now pops up right after Halloween. How many times have you heard or said, "If I hear Jingle Bells one more time, I'm going to (fill in whatever clever saying you like)"? I believe I've used that exact phrase more than a few times in this past week alone. Earlier this week I was even sympathizing with some employees at one of those shipping stores who admitted they were close to going insane with the store-pumped holiday dreams of Christmas trees, candy canes and Jack Frost. It is cruel and unusual punishment if you ask me.
With that in mind, I give you this sip of twisted eggnog to help and take the edge off. Our treat comes in the form of Christmas at Ground Zero by none other than "Weird Al" Yankovich. The song is actually one of his darker pieces and rather than a straight-out parody of a particular song, this one is more of an original piece that features a similar melody to several "normal" holiday tunes, mixed naturally with the sounds of air raid sirens and bombs going off. Yankovich takes the holiday celebration and glee and transports it into the center of a nuclear holocaust and imminent disaster. And really, who hasn't considered a nuclear war a welcome scenario in the midst of a few days in December?
You might hear some reindeer on your rooftop
Or Jack Frost on your windowsill
But if someone's climbing down your chimney
You better load your gun and shoot to kill
Christmas at Ground Zero was released on the 1986 album, Polka Party!, and towards the end of the Cold War. The song was really great timing. The tensions of a possible nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union still existed and we even had those reassuring TV movies like The Day After and Special Bulletin just a few short years earlier. Ronald Reagan was even featured in the video of the song, which spliced together clips of 50s Christmas fun with similar era propaganda films like Duck and Cover. Ever the opportunist, Yankovich even throws in a reference to mistletoe (or is it missle-toe?). On a side note, did you know that mistletoe is actually a parasitic plant that can ultimately kill its host? Just an interesting little holiday factoid that I thought I would share. Feel free to use it as you see fit.
So if you are like me and are growing just a tiny bit tired of songs that are apparently so great that they must be played ad nauseum for a few months only to disappear from the face of the Earth the rest of the year, this one is for you. And for all of you starving musicians out there, I'm telling you, there is a market that is relatively untapped. Sure, the royalties might not trickle in all year long, but they will be there for all of your holiday shopping. And I'm not talking about Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer. Edgy once, maybe, but it lost its charm the moment one of those stuffed-toys started singing it at the push of a button.
So with that, I wish you all a very sincere "happy holidays"! And hang in there, it is almost over.
This entry was edited on December 23, 2007, 11:46 pm.
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December 24, 2007, 2:03 pm |
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