Christmas, Vol. 3

Just as it always does, Christmas has arrived again. In a world that still doesn't quite know what the heck it's doing but is in a slightly better place than last year, I know that I'm welcoming my favorite holiday with open arms. I was watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas last week, and the end of that movie has one of my favorite lines in any movie ever I think: "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, is a little bit more." We can all get caught up in the gift buying and the gift giving and the same 5 songs played over and over for two solid months and the cooking of the food and the making of the plans, but if we could all stop for just a second and remember that very thing that caused The Grinch's heart to grow three sizes, I think we'd all be in a much better place. Therefore, here is my Christmas 2021 playlist - 12 songs from my alarmingly large master playlist (we're over 950 songs now, ya'll) to help get you into the holiday spirit.

The Lord's Prayer by Andrea Bocelli ft. Mormon Tabernacle Choir (traditional lyrics)

Featured on his 2009 Christmas album Mi Navidad, Andrea Bocelli proves once again that he has the voice of a certified angel. Backed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, this beautiful musical recitation of Jesus's words in Matthew 6 is a must listen.

Our Father, which art in Heaven/Hallowed be Thy name/Our Father which art in Heaven/Hallowed be Thy name/Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done/On Earth as it is in Heaven

Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year by Tim Davis (written by T. Guerrero)

Featured on Jane Lynch's 2016 Christmas album A Swingin' Little Christmas, this fun number with vocals by Tim Davis is backed by The Tony Guerrero Quartet. That classic swing feeling throughout the number brings back nostalgic memories of past Christmases, and this song (plus its entire album) are a delight.

The holly and the mistletoe, the warming fire, the chilling snow/Christmas is my favorite time of year/Children nestled in their beds, dreams of presents in their heads/Christmas is my favorite time of year/Oh, how I love a peppermint stick/Eggnog always does the trick/I can’t sleep, what’s that I hear/Could it be St. Nick is near

Auld Lang Syne by Leslie Odom, Jr. (traditional lyrics)

Featured on his 2020 Christmas album The Christmas Album, Broadway icon Leslie Odom, Jr. brings his incredible voice to a New Year's classic. Translated from Scots to mean "Times Long Past" in English, it never really feels like the year is over until you hear this song.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot/And never brought to mind/Should auld acquaintance be forgot/And auld lang syne/Oh, auld lang syne, my dear/For auld lang syne/We’ll take a cup o’kindness yet/For auld lang syne

All I Want for Christmas by Lindsey Stirling (written by M. Carrey, W. Afanasieff)

Featured on her 2018 Christmas album Warmer In The Winter, violinist Lindsey Stirling provides us with a really fun instrumental version of the Mariah Carey classic. Stirling is so talented, and the energy she brings to each song is contagious as you listen to it.

This Christmas by Mary J. Blige (written by D. Hathaway, N. McKinner)

Featured on her 2013 Christmas album A Mary Christmas, this is the first version of this song I ever heard that I actually enjoyed. Blige has such an incredible voice, and the fullness she brings to this song is really excellent.

Hang all the mistletoe, I’m gonna get to know you better this Christmas/And as we trim the tree, how much fun it’s gonna be together, yeah, this Christmas/Fireside’s blazing bright, we’re caroling through the night/And this Christmas will be a very special Christmas for me, yeah

Sleigh Ride by MercyMe (written by L. Anderson, M. Parish)

Featured on their 2015 Christmas album Mercyme, It's Christmas!, MercyMe brings a little bit of a slower vibe to this usually fast paced holiday classic. It always catches me off guard when it comes on my playlist, but I enjoy it all the same.

Just hear those sleigh bells jingaling, ring, ting, tingling, too/Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you/Outside, the snow is falling and friends are calling, "Yoo-hoo"/Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you/Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, let’s go, let’s look at the show/Riding in a wonderland of snow/Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, it’s grand just holding your hand/We’re gliding along with a song of a wintery fairyland

Heaven Is Here by Paul McClure & Hannah McClure (written by J. Taylor, H. McClure, P. McClure, T. Wood)

Featured on their 2020 Christmas live album Christmas Morning, The McClures use their sweet, classic sound to give us a really lovely song to remind us of what happened on that original Christmas morning. The whole album is very good, I highly recommend it.

Long we have waited with expectation/Long we have prayed with anticipation/But suddenly, there is a light in the darkness/It’s shining in Bethlehem/This is the moment, this is the night/Sing choir of angels, glory to God/He’s peace on the earth, He’s joy to the world/The Savior has come down, Heaven is here

When You Believe by Pentatonix & Maren Morris (written by K. Edmonds, S. Schwartz)

Featured on their 2018 Christmas album Christmas Is Here!, I was so excited that Pentatonix was covering a pivotal song from my childhood AND that they were duetting it with Maren Morris. I've never considered the iconic track from The Prince of Egypt to be a Christmas song, but they sure did make a believer out of me (I know, the pun is weak but get over it, it's Christmas).

Many nights, we’ve prayed with no proof anyone could hear/In our hearts, a hopeful song we barely understood/Now we are not afraid, although we know there’s much to fear/We were moving mountains long before we knew we could/There can be miracles when you believe/Though hope is frail, it’s hard to kill/Who knows what miracles you can achieve/When you believe, somehow you will, you will when you believe

Away In A Manger by Sadie Robertson & Alison Krauss ft. Mia Robertson (written by D. Willcocks, W. Kirkpatrick)

Featured on The Robertsons' 2013 Christmas album Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas, I bought this album during the Duck Dynasty fever that swept the nation when I was in college and haven't regretted itt for a single moment since. Featuring a reading of Luke 2 from a then 10-year-old Mia followed by the Christmas classic sung by a then 16-year-old Sadie & country star Alison Krauss, this is a really sweet version of a holiday favorite.

The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes/But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes/I love the Lord Jesus, look down from the sky/And stay by my cradle ’til morning is nigh/Away in a manger, no crib for His bed/The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head/The stars in the heavens look down where He lay/The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay

Christmas Wish by She & Him (written by J. Spampinato)

Featured on their 2011 Christmas album A Very She & Him Christmas, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward (aka She & Him) lend their undeniably Indie style to this fun holiday number. Deschanel and Ward's voices blend really well together, and the vibe of the song and the whole album is just super chill, perfect for a family gathering at the holidays.

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas/It’s the time of year when all good dreams come true/I look at all the toys under the Christmas tree/It makes me think about the way things could be/If people all over the world could just see them, too/Every Christmas, every Christmas/There’s magic in the air when the holiday spirit’s true/I listen to the voices as they float my way/It must be the music that the angels play/If people all over the world could just hear it, too/If we open our hearts, our wishes would come true, they’d come true

Christmases When You Were Mine by Taylor Swift (written by L. Rose, N. Chapman, T. Swift)

Featured on her 2007 Christmas EP The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, you low-key KNEW Taylor would be here on this list somewhere. It has that early Taylor melancholy country sound to it (think Teardrops on My Guitar, similar vibe), and really I think it's a bit of a crime that her Christmas album isn't a bigger deal - maybe she'll rerecord it, too??

Please take down the mistletoe/‘Cause I don’t wanna think about that right now/‘Cause everything I want is miles away/In a snow-covered little town/My momma’s in the kitchen, worrying about me/Season’s greetings, hope you’re well/Well I’m doing alright, if you were wondering/Lately, I can never tell/I know this shouldn’t be a lonely time/But there were Christmases when you were mine

A Christmas Wish by Vince Vance & The Valiants (composer unknown)

Featured on their 1989 album All I Want For Christmas Is You, this number from Vince Vance & The Valiants is a lost gem along with the rest of the songs on that album (except for All I Want for Christmas Is You, of course). I have so many good memories listening through this album practically every day of December growing up, so maybe I'm a little biased, but this absolutely '80s Christmas song is a fun listen.

I wish on Christmas that my baby’d come home/I wish he’d come home to me/On Christmas morning, if I wake up alone/He’ll be under my Christmas tree/He wrote me a letter saying he’d try to come back/Maybe by Christmas Eve/I got his present, and I know for a fact/Once he gets it, he’ll never leave/White Christmas/Without him turns a fair shade of blue/Why can’t Christmas/Be the one day a year that my wishes come true

I wish each and every one of you a very merry Christmas and hope this holiday is something very special for you. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!