Christmas, Vol. 4

Christmas is back, and I don't know about ya'll but I feel like I've been running full speed for about six weeks. It's so easy to get distracted by work and parties, gift giving and gift buying, times of mourning and of celebration with both family and friends - all of these things can cause us to forget the true reason for the season: love. God loved this world so much that He sent Jesus down to be born and live among us to eventually die, and Christmas is the time we celebrate the beginning of that journey that changed history forever. So even though I'm so exhausted I can feel it in my very bones, I will make a joyful noise to celebrate this season and all the good, love, and light it brings.

Below you will find my Christmas 2022 playlist - 12 songs selected from my absolutely enormous master playlist to help get you into the holiday spirit.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Darren Criss (written by H. Martin, R. Blane)

Featured on his 2021 Christmas album A Very Darren Crissmas, Darren Criss serenades us with his stunning voice backed by a simple guitar with this Christmas classic. This is a must have for any Christmas playlist and a must listen for the holiday season.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light/From now on our troubles will be out of sight/Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the Yuletide gay/From now on our troubles will be miles away/Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore/Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas by Kacey Musgraves (written by J. Rox)

Featured on her 2015 Christmas album A Very Kacey Christmas, Kacey Musgraves does this Christmas staple justice and then some. This song has always been a favorite of mine, and apart from the original this is probably my favorite version.

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas/Only a hippopotamus will do/I don't want a doll, no dinky tinkertoy/I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy/I want a hippopotamus for Christmas/I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you/He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue/Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do/I can see me now on Christmas morning/Creeping down the stairs/Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes/To see my hippo hero standing there

Mele Kalikimaka by Kacey Musgraves ft. The Quebe Sisters (written by R. Anderson)

Also featured on 2015's A Very Kacey Christmas, Kacey and special guests The Quebe Sisters do a great job country-fying this classic made popular originally by Bing Crosby. A lot of times here in Texas it's not hard to imagine a warm, sunny Christmas Day like this song suggests, but in years like this one it can be fun to imagine what Christmas on the beach would be like for those of us who haven't experienced it.

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say/On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day/That's the island greeting that we send to you/From the land where palm trees sway/Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright/The sun will shine by day and all the stars at night/Mele Kalikimaka is Hawai'i's way/To say Merry Christmas to you

My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) by Kristin Chenoweth (written by P. Horner, P. Lee)

Featured on her 2021 Christmas album HAPPINESS is... Christmas!, Kristin Chenoweth lends her incredible voice to this Peggy Lee tune accompanied only by a beautiful guitar line. The lyrics about friendship, love, and joy set a pleasant tone for the year to come.

My dear acquaintance, it's so good to know you/For strength of your hand that is loving and giving/And a happy new year with love overflowing/With joy in our hearts for the blessed new year

When Christmas Comes To Town by Matthew Hall & Meagan Moore (written by A. Silvestri, G. Ballard)

Featured in the 2004 Christmas film The Polar Express, I'm not sure it's possible for me to get through this song without bawling my eyes out. Listening to the two new friends discuss what Christmas has been and what they wish it to be, it's backed by stunning music from the incredible Alan Silvestri and the incredible animation that accompanies the rest of the film.

I'm wishing on a star and trying to believe/That even thought it's far, he'll find me Christmas Eve/I guess that Santa's busy, 'cause he's never come around/I think of him when Christmas comes to town/The best time of the year, when everyone comes home/With all this Christmas cheer, it’s hard to be alone/Putting up the Christmas tree with friends that come around/It's so much fun when Christmas comes to town

O Holy Night by Maverick City Music ft. Melvin Crispell III & Mav City Gospel Choir (written by C. Adolphe, C. Placide, D. Sullian)

Featured on Maverick City's 2021 Christmas album A Very Maverick Christmas with vocals from worship leader Melvin Crispell III, this is an incredible version of this beloved song done only the way Maverick City can do. So many people claim O Holy Night as their favorite Christmas song, and when versions like this one exist to enhance the already beautiful lyrics, it's not difficult to understand why.

O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining/It is the night of our dear Savior's birth/Long lay the world in sin and error pining/’Til He appears and the soul felt its worth/A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices/For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn/Fall on your knees, O hear the Angel voices/O night divine, O night when Christ was born/O night divine, O night when Christ was born

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by MercyMe (written by B. Bennett, traditional lyrics)

Featured on their 2008 Christmas album The Christmas Sessions, MercyMe knocks this traditional Christmas song out of the park with intense, awesome instrumentation and killer vocals. I'm also pretty partial to the addition of Carol of the Bells near the end of the song, intertwining two Christmas bangers with haunting melodies perfectly to add to the listening experience.

God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay/Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day/To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray/O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy/O tidings of comfort and joy

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Michael Bublé (written by J. Barry, E. Greenwich)

Featured on Michael Bublé's 2011 Christmas album Christmas, this is just one of the tracks that makes this an almost perfect holiday album. Bublé's got an incredible voice, and this 60s holiday classic fits his voice so well it's almost like it was made for him.

Christmas, the snow's coming down/Christmas, I'm watching it fall/Christmas, lots of people around/Christmas, baby, please come home/Christmas, the church bells in town/Christmas, all ringing in song/Christmas, full of happy sounds/Christmas, baby, please come home/They're singing "Deck The Halls”/But it's not like Christmas at all/I remember when you were here/And all the fun we had last year

I Just Called To Say I Love You by Pentatonix (written by S. Wonder)

Featured on their 2021 Christmas album Evergreen, Pentatonix does a wonderful job covering this Stevie Wonder hit. This isn't a song I would think to put on a Christmas playlist on my own, but its themes of love (and all of the holiday shoutouts) make it fit right in with the other songs here.

No New Year's Day to celebrate/No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away/No first of spring, no song to sing/In fact it's just another ordinary day/I just called to say I love you/I just called to say how much I care/I just called to say I love you/And I mean it from the bottom of my heart/Of my heart

Frosty The Snowman by Pentatonix ft. Alessia Cara (written by S. Nelson, W. Rollins)

Also featured on 2021's Evergreen, Pentatonix teams up with the talented Alessia Cara for this fun holiday classic. I feel like Frosty doesn't get as much attention as Rudolph or Santa in terms of fun holiday characters, so I always enjoy seeing him on Christmas album track lists.

Frosty the Snowman was a jolly, happy soul/With a corn cob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal/Oh, Frosty the Snowman is a fairytale they say/He was made of snow, but the children know how he came to life one day/There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found/For when they placed it on his head, he began to dance around

White Christmas by Taylor Swift (written by I. Berlin)

Featured on her 2007 Christmas EP The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, you HAD to know Taylor was showing up today. Also, am I the only one hoping she rerecords this album along with all her other stuff, maybe even with the addition of Christmas Tree Farm included?

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas/Just like the ones I used to know/Where the tree tops glisten and children listen/To hear sleigh bells in the snow

Silent Night by The Robertsons (written by J. Mohr, F. Gruber)

Featured on their 2013 Christmas album Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas, The Robertsons recorded this at the height of Duck Dynasty's popularity and I am not even embarrassed to say I've enjoyed this album since it came out. With Missy taking the helm as lead vocalists, this is a really sweet version of a beautiful Christmas classic.

Silent night, holy night/All is calm, all is bright/‘Round yon virgin mother and child/Holy infant, so tender and mild/Sleep in heavenly peace/Sleep in heavenly peace

Here's hoping that you and yours have a safe, wonderful, lovely Christmas this week. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!