Duncan Baird, the mastermind behind the Christmas music force that is Winterval, wrote a guestblog on Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime. Because CAGG asked him to. Let's settle this once and for all:
Every Christmas I see people on social media excitedly proclaiming that Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" is the WORST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER. I'm here to tell you that they're wrong. It's not even the worst Christmas song on the original 7" single - that accolade goes to the b-side "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae" which is perhaps not as bad as you're imagining but still pretty awful.
In a world where Michael Bublé and "Cheeky Christmas" exist, why does "Wonderful Christmastime" get singled out as the worst example of holiday music?
Is it the lyrics? Yeah, they're dumb. I love interesting Christmas songs, unusual Christmas songs, sad Christmas songs... but when I'm in the pub on Christmas Eve or watching my children unwrap presents on Christmas Day, I want joyful songs about people having fun at Christmas. I want Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody"! I want Elton's "Step into Christmas"! Heck, I'll even take Shakin Stevens' "Merry Christmas Everyone"! "Wonderful Christmastime" is a song about people having a party and forgetting their cares for a bit. These aren't deep songs, but they're not meant to be.
But unlike those other songs, "Wonderful Christmastime" actually sounds a bit odd. Maybe we've all heard it too many times to notice how strange it is at times. Why do the synths frequently sound out of time with the vocals? Why is it so sparse? Why did the choir of children need to practice a song all year long that just goes "ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding ding ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh doo doo doo doo doo doo doo"? We should be grateful that such a well-played Christmas song actually offers us something a little more unusual.
If I was having this argument on social media, by now someone would have said something like "but Paul wrote "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby" and "For No One" and therefore "Wonderful Christmastime" is trash by comparison". Well yeah, but he also wrote "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and "Honey Pie" and "Angry" and "Bip Bop". The guy loves to write silly stuff, cheesy stuff. He loves to experiment and see what works. And "Wonderful Christmastime" works. It has endured.
I first heard "WC" (should I call it that?) as a child. My parents had a cassette tape of Christmas songs they would start playing around the 15th of December when we got our tree and decorated the house. It was all stuff from the 70s and 80s and they were the songs that formed my love of Christmas music and soundtracked those magical wide-eyed first Christmases.
Even now, hearing those first few bursts of echo-y synth transports me back to simpler times. Not many other songs can achieve that in a few seconds. Maybe those first few notes of "Do they know it's Christmas". Perhaps that piano at the start of Chris Rea's "Driving Home for Christmas". But not much else. That synth is haunting, and still instantly brings back that sense of excitement and wonder.
Maybe therefore I'm unable to hear the song as someone would hear it for the first time now, unattached from years of memories. But I do know that if there was no "Wonderful Christmastime" then there would be no excellent cover versions by Tom McCrae, Beta Radio and countless others. There wouldn't be that hilarious Peter Serafinowicz sketch. There would be no "Saul McCartney" trilogy of records by the king of indie Christmas music Kristian Noel Pedersen. It's an important song.
Above all, maybe "Wonderful Christmastime" represents us all at Christmas. It's rushed, it's silly, it's hopeful... it wants a drink. If you're not a fan, maybe give it another try. It is Christmastime after all.
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Thanks Duncan! Winterval has a new Christmas EP out, that is as wonderful as anything by Paul McCartney. Don't take our word for it, read THIS review by Jim/Christmas Underground. Or listen to this gem:
Every Christmas I see people on social media excitedly proclaiming that Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" is the WORST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER. I'm here to tell you that they're wrong. It's not even the worst Christmas song on the original 7" single - that accolade goes to the b-side "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae" which is perhaps not as bad as you're imagining but still pretty awful.
In a world where Michael Bublé and "Cheeky Christmas" exist, why does "Wonderful Christmastime" get singled out as the worst example of holiday music?
Is it the lyrics? Yeah, they're dumb. I love interesting Christmas songs, unusual Christmas songs, sad Christmas songs... but when I'm in the pub on Christmas Eve or watching my children unwrap presents on Christmas Day, I want joyful songs about people having fun at Christmas. I want Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody"! I want Elton's "Step into Christmas"! Heck, I'll even take Shakin Stevens' "Merry Christmas Everyone"! "Wonderful Christmastime" is a song about people having a party and forgetting their cares for a bit. These aren't deep songs, but they're not meant to be.
If I was having this argument on social media, by now someone would have said something like "but Paul wrote "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby" and "For No One" and therefore "Wonderful Christmastime" is trash by comparison". Well yeah, but he also wrote "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and "Honey Pie" and "Angry" and "Bip Bop". The guy loves to write silly stuff, cheesy stuff. He loves to experiment and see what works. And "Wonderful Christmastime" works. It has endured.
I first heard "WC" (should I call it that?) as a child. My parents had a cassette tape of Christmas songs they would start playing around the 15th of December when we got our tree and decorated the house. It was all stuff from the 70s and 80s and they were the songs that formed my love of Christmas music and soundtracked those magical wide-eyed first Christmases.
Even now, hearing those first few bursts of echo-y synth transports me back to simpler times. Not many other songs can achieve that in a few seconds. Maybe those first few notes of "Do they know it's Christmas". Perhaps that piano at the start of Chris Rea's "Driving Home for Christmas". But not much else. That synth is haunting, and still instantly brings back that sense of excitement and wonder.
Maybe therefore I'm unable to hear the song as someone would hear it for the first time now, unattached from years of memories. But I do know that if there was no "Wonderful Christmastime" then there would be no excellent cover versions by Tom McCrae, Beta Radio and countless others. There wouldn't be that hilarious Peter Serafinowicz sketch. There would be no "Saul McCartney" trilogy of records by the king of indie Christmas music Kristian Noel Pedersen. It's an important song.
Above all, maybe "Wonderful Christmastime" represents us all at Christmas. It's rushed, it's silly, it's hopeful... it wants a drink. If you're not a fan, maybe give it another try. It is Christmastime after all.
---
Thanks Duncan! Winterval has a new Christmas EP out, that is as wonderful as anything by Paul McCartney. Don't take our word for it, read THIS review by Jim/Christmas Underground. Or listen to this gem:
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