My Three Least Favorite “Christmas” Playlist Songs

I know this isn’t exactly what the author was talking about, but one of my least favorite Christmas “hymns” is “It Came upon a Midnight Clear.” Plenty of references to angels, but not a single reference to Christ.

…..is something I hear in the grocery store about a “very special Christmas”, which has very little to do with the holiday at all, either secular or sacred, but rather seems to be drowning in teenage infatuation with nary a thought to vocal technique or musicality. But somehow it still gets play time. Maybe they’re trying to induce nausea so that their customers don’t buy too much food and get diabetes and heart disease.

While he’s not wrong about the meaning of the lyrics of Let It Go (and the fact that it has nothing to do with Christmas, even in a secular/commercial sense), it should be seen in light of the story for which it was composed. The character who sings it is indeed affirming her own rebellion, but it is clearly portrayed as a selfish act. Later she does go back, in spite of what she claims in the song.

But I agree that it has no place in a Christmas playlist.

[Andrew R.]

I know this isn’t exactly what the author was talking about, but one of my least favorite Christmas “hymns” is “It Came upon a Midnight Clear.” Plenty of references to angels, but not a single reference to Christ.

I agree; but unfortunately the song persists because, from an aesthetic pov, it is a beautiful song with haunting lyrics.

[Andrew K]

Andrew R. wrote:

I know this isn’t exactly what the author was talking about, but one of my least favorite Christmas “hymns” is “It Came upon a Midnight Clear.” Plenty of references to angels, but not a single reference to Christ.

I agree; but unfortunately the song persists because, from an aesthetic pov, it is a beautiful song with haunting lyrics.

I had to go back and look this up, since I didn’t remember it exactly as you two describe it. Lo and behold, there are apparently several versions of the lyrics.

All versions I found refer to “Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, from heav’ns all-gracious King!” I’ll admit that’s an indirect reference, but the author could certainly have been referring to Jesus.

The last verse apparently has different versions, one of which goes like this:

“For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.”

This version most certainly does refer to Jesus, but apparently, the other common version:

“For lo! the days are hast’ning on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing!”

is more like you guys are describing it. Maybe the first version I quoted came about due to what you mentioned - concerns over leaving Jesus out of the story. In any case, I know I’d heard that first version often enough to wonder what you were talking about when you said the song said nothing at all about Jesus.

Three that drive me a little nuts:

1. Do You See What I See?
2. The Little Drummer Boy
3. Any traditional carol sung like an American Idol competition or Country Music Awards event.

(OK, that last one is more of a category…)

We really don’t sing Es Ist Ein Rose Entsprungen often enough!

[Aaron Blumer]

We really don’t sing Es Ist Ein Rose Entsprungen often enough!

That’s OK. I’d prefer to not hear Americans slaughter the German pronunciation. :)

They should stick with the English version.