Published: December 14, 2008 01:53 am      

DODD: Holiday hits and misses

A few solicited responses this week as to people’s favorite and worst Christmas songs, with running commentary.



KIM DODD

• Favorite: “‘Holly Jolly Christmas’ by Burl Ives reminds me of being a kid and watching ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’”

• Worst: “‘Christmas Shoes.’ Christmas songs are supposed to be uplifting and fun. People dying takes the fun out of it for me.”

A big fan of Easter hymns!

KIM KING

• Favorite: “‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ because when my sister and I were kids, our dad would sing that song to us while playing his guitar, and he sounded just like the Gene Autry version.”

• Worst: None.

Probably one of those happy, little “the egg nog cup is half-full” people.

JACK HALL

• Favorite: “‘Blue Christmas’ by Elvis.”

• Worst: “‘Blue Christmas’ by Bon Jovi! After Elvis sings them, all others should just leave it at that and move on to other songs.”

Ladies and gentlemen, Bon Jovi has left the building.

PRINCIPAL MICHELLE DYER

• Favorite: “‘O Holy Night’ would be a favorite because I am moved every time I hear it no matter who is singing.”

• Worst: “‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ is a lot like fingernails on a chalkboard for me.”

Why I bite my nails.

SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT BOB MCEWEN

• Favorite: “‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.’”

• Worst: “I do not like ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.’ I just do not like it.”

Sensing a trend ... but then, I’ve read ahead.

JEFFERSONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH STEVE COOLEY

• Favorite: “‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’ by Bruce Springsteen. One can never go wrong when the Boss sings about the holidays.”

• Worst: “‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.’ It was a great song when it came out. However, I think the air play ruined the novelty of the song.”

I play it on air guitar.

EXTENSION AGENT DAVID TROTTER

• Favorite: “For traditional songs, my favorite is ‘Mary Did You Know.’ If I am in a fun mood, I really like ‘Leroy the Redneck Reindeer.’”

• Worst: “‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.’ Part of my problem with this song is that it gets so much air time on radios, regardless of their format.”

Does anybody else see a possible connection between his second and third songs?

CHARLESTOWN HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR JON ROHNER

• Favorite: “I don’t really like Christmas music, so I don’t have a favorite.”

• Worst: “One I never wanna hear again? ‘White Christmas!’ My high school algebra teacher used to play a Bing Crosby Christmas album during our winter exam every year. It was so distracting. That song always reminds me of high school math. Blah!”

Won’t even stay at a Holiday Inn?

EVENING NEWS EDITOR SHEA VAN HOY

• Favorite: “‘The Christmas Song’ by the Raveonettes. It came out a few years back and fits the feedback-heavy, throwback rock style from Denmark. Another is from 1980s singer Billy Squier — a catchy sing-along called, ‘Christmas Is a Time to Say, I Love You.’”

• Worst: None.

Nobody says Christmas for me like Billy Squire — except maybe Bing. Let’s see ... Bing or Billy, Billy or Bing? Which one was in the movies with Bob Hope?

REALTOR JIM CASH

• Favorite: “‘The Little Drummer Boy.’ I love the music. It makes you listen to the small parts of the drummer and the words away from the music.”

• Worst: “‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ — overplayed and overanalyzed. It’s hard to remember all the days for most people, and people try to remember all the parts. All Christmas songs are great because every song holds a special meaning or thought for each different person.”

I often confuse the lyrics/images. Is it maids-a-leaping golden rings and Lords-a-milking turtle doves or vice versa?

WVEZ-106.9’S KATHI LINCOLN

• Favorite: “‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas.’ Anything that’s good enough for legends Bing Crosby, Perry Como and Frank Sinatra is good enough for me. It’s also such an emotional song for both soldiers and civilians ... and I’m a sucker for a sad song.”

• Worst: “‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.’ It’s just goofy, hickey and wrong.”

I am now reconsidering my request for “Leroy the Redneck Reindeer” on Monday’s show.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC

INSTRUCTION-ELECT TONY BENNETT

• Favorite: “‘Little Drummer Boy’ [Nat King Cole]. It reminds me of Christmas when I was young.”

• Worst: “I never want to hear ‘Good King Wenceslas’ again because it is too difficult to sing.”

You should hear my version in the shower.

CHARLESTOWN MAYOR BOB HALL

• Favorite: “‘O’ Holy Night.’”

• Worst: “Family joke — ‘Deck The Halls.’”

At some Christmas family gatherings, the family joke is that you might get decked in the halls.

JEFFERSONVILLE MAYOR TOM GALLIGAN

• Favorite: “‘Silent Night’ is my favorite Christmas song because I think it speaks to the real spirit of the holiday, which is the remembrance and honoring of Christ’s birth.”

• Worst: “It’s more a category of songs, rather than a specific song, and that would be those songs that shift the focus to the commercialization of Christmas, like ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ or ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.’ I’ve had a pretty good relationship with the jolly old Saint Nick over the years — he’s been kind enough to visit us for Light Up Jeffersonville each year. But I think even he understands that the spirit that we bring to Christmas should have more value to us than the gifts we give each other.”

Personal note — return mayor’s gift?

Happy holiday singing to all and don’t slip on the Christmas soap!

Lindon Dodd is an Otisco resident who is a freelance writer and can be reached at lindon.dodd@hotmail.com