Pages - Menu

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Feast with the Beasts (3): Hoof prints on her forehead


Third blogpost on Christmas songs about/with/by animals. Told ya in the first blog (mostly about dogs), this is a BIG theme, gonna need several episodes. In blog #2 I linked to seasonal songs about a T-Rex, a hippo, cats, a monkey and a unicorn.
This one is all about reindeer. And yes, the classics are here too:
Read all about this production HERE:
This song has been covered a thousand times. At least. This is a list of 836 versions. My fave is the mambo by Billy May. And this Japanese ukelele duo.

Probably as classic as the one above, this Chuck Berry rocker:
Often covered, never bettered. Fave version tho: The fuzz-drenched Humpers one.

Also a (comedy) classic, Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer. A cruel song (grandma dies), but as the saying goes, 'it's only funny until someone falls, then it's hilarious'. The original Grandma is by Elmo & Patsy, but this Nick Cave-ian version we like better:
Parodies of this song are a-plenty. I found 'New Kids Got Run Over By a Reindeer' quite funny. More funny than the inevitable answer song, 'Rudolph got run over by my Grandma'.
More classics? Hank Snow has one, a track that was covered also, but fewer than I thought. Nice version:
OK, the obligatory classics out of the way, let's get to the lesser known, yet very good stuff. Like this Oso Oso indie power pop track: 'We can just stay here. wrap me in your claws, i can be your reindeer'
Cool cover version, reminded me of Robyn's Dancing on my own:
From the About a Boy-soundtrack (centered around a Christmas song, read the book or watch the movie) and a VERY good song:
Like a cool blade in your neck:
Very political, with numerous references to other Xmas songs, plus reindeer, I give you mr. Prints Jackson:
Non-Traditionals were featured in Post #2 with their Cat in the Christmas Trees. And they have a reindeer song too:
Ne Pas de Machine, linked to the Non-Traditionals, have reindeer in their home too:
Very fun garage-rocker from Sweden:
From 1955, love this surf track:
You know all the names of Santa's reindeer, no? Also of that 10th reindeer? Well, it's:
I let you decide if this is funny or not (but I warned you we'd have a song about animals on a plate):
In French (and rocking hard), also about eating reindeer ('renne') for Christmas
Ferrets! Why not? Amoeba People wrote a cool punky song about it:
From a Spanish compilation, the title translates as 'Reindeer on the freeway':
Traditionally, we close with a Sufjan Stevens track. Not so much about reindeer, but in this song, they're essential to get up on the housetop:
Want more? There is a Spotify playlist, of course. HERE. And Please comment the songs I missed!

1 comment:

  1. Santajan1:03 PM

    Archie the Rednose Reindeer by Tapper Zukie, one of the strangest Christmas songs ever, if it can be called a Christmas song at all. What is a red nosed reindeer doing in Jamaica and who is Dogie Dogie with the big beer belly?

    ReplyDelete