Comments on: Why do I associate Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree with great tragedy?

Question: Why do I associate Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree with great tragedy?

cillit bang — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:18:28 -0800

Why do I associate Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree with great tragedy?

By: xmutex

xmutex — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:21:56 -0800

You expect us to know?

By: milovoo

milovoo — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:22:51 -0800

Perhaps because Brenda Lee sang both songs?

(although I do sort of know what you mean - it has a dark side)

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:26:47 -0800

Dark side? I never saw a dark side.

By: piedrasyluz

piedrasyluz — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:27:31 -0800

Two thoughts come to mind: the song is playing in some pretty graphic scenes in several movies set around Christmas : the movies Die Hard and another one I can't remember where a woman is all coked/heroined up and gets up on the railing on her hotel room and plunges to her death...I think.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:30:40 -0800

Maybe you were listening to it when something tragic happened?

A really long shot: Maybe you're confusing it with Rock Around The Clock, which was sung by Bill Hayley and His Comets, who are from the same era as (and may be reminding you of) The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens, who all died in a plane crash?

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:31:31 -0800

Rockin' around the christmas tree is a great way to knock it over. That's pretty tragic.

By: true

true — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:34:03 -0800

I think that last movie (with the dive off the balcony) would be Lethal Weapon, although I believe the song is Jingle Bell Rock. Of course, there could be a couple movies out there with that general plot device.

By: cillit bang

cillit bang — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:35:23 -0800

piedrasyluz is on the right track - I'm probably thinking of a film or TV show, but all I can think of is Home Alone and though that's creepy it isn't quite enough.

By: birdherder

birdherder — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:38:18 -0800

In Austin there's the Beehive musical that uses the song in its ads around Christmas. The women with the beehive hairdos and that song make me cringe. And invariably, the song gets stuck in my head.

By: jennyb

jennyb — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:39:09 -0800

Because you're confusing Brenda Lee with Patsy Cline or Connie Francis?

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:50:10 -0800

Because it's an awful song and it makes you want to go on a three-state killing spree?

You're not alone-- I hate that song so much that I'll leave a store if it's playing.

By: geekyguy

geekyguy — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:51:21 -0800

piedrasyluz is thinking of Lethal Weapon. The first one.

By: squidlarkin

squidlarkin — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 09:30:47 -0800

I'm with Mayor Curley. The song is a tragedy, case closed.

By: u.n. owen

u.n. owen — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 09:46:05 -0800

Because Home Alone makes you tear up.

By: dnash

dnash — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 10:04:13 -0800

I hate that song so much that I'll leave a store if it's playing.

Me too! Though Jingle Bell Rock is even worse in my book. Glad I'm not alone either!

By: u.n. owen

u.n. owen — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 10:15:50 -0800

dnash, don't knock Jingle Bell Rock.

My grandmother helped write that song!

*walks off in a huff*

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 10:25:30 -0800

My grandmother helped write that song!

I like to sing Jingle Bell Rock, but using only the words "bell", "rock", and "jingle":

bell rock jingle rock
Bell jingle rock
Rock jingle rock
Bell jingle bell
Rock bell
Jingle
Rock rock bell
Jingle rock, jingle rock
Bell bell bell

Drives my wife nuts. I'd record an MP3 of me doing it if someone could find me a karaoke track.

By: whatnot

whatnot — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 11:13:58 -0800

Drives my wife nuts. I'd record an MP3 of me doing it if someone could find me a karaoke track.

See? Out of tragedy, great deeds are borne.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 11:23:53 -0800

Here are the soundtracks containing rockin' around the christmas tree.

I haven't seen Miracle, but most of the others could definitely qualify as great tragedies.

By: Arch Stanton

Arch Stanton — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 11:55:40 -0800

the song was in Reindeer Games, the tragic Ben Affleck/Charlize Theron movie.

why do i associate Bruce Springsteen's Santa Claus is Coming to Town with great tragedy?

By: quasistoic

quasistoic — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 15:06:21 -0800

"I'd record an MP3 of me doing it if someone could find me a karaoke track."
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:25 AM PST on December 22

Check your inbox.

By: ruelle

ruelle — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 00:54:17 -0800

PinkStainlessTail: you better not bow outta this... I'll be checking back.

By: quasistoic

quasistoic — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 11:33:34 -0800

May I present you with PinkStainlessTail's Jingle Rock Bell, backed by organist Lenny Dee. (My favorite part is when he says "Ringle Jock Bell." He knows how to keep you on your toes.)

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 12:24:58 -0800

And PinkStainlessTail is still married? Unbelievable.

By: konolia

konolia — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 13:34:27 -0800

I'm amazed she lets him live. ;-)

By: matildaben

matildaben — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 15:06:55 -0800

You just totally made my day, PST! I'm going to keep this for any future holiday compilations I ever make. Thanks!

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 21:34:48 -0800

So I guess you could call the responses "mixed reviews", eh, PST? Merry Christmas.

By: tristeza

tristeza — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 21:44:11 -0800

God almightly - I couldn't actually finish listening to it - it was painful as fuck - but I was chuckling. Happy Festivus!

By: rushmc

rushmc — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 23:49:04 -0800

Clearly, you are insane.

(Nice voice, though.)

By: ruelle

ruelle — Sat, 25 Dec 2004 01:14:48 -0800

brilliant!

By: kamylyon

kamylyon — Sat, 25 Dec 2004 03:21:55 -0800

Insanity has its points.

That being said, I second the brilliant!

By: Marquis

Marquis — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 15:23:21 -0800

That's fucking awesome, PinkStainlessTail.

I suffer a similar affliction when it comes to "Jingle Bell Rock" - the lyrics have always seemed immaterial and extraneous next to the dumb glee of the melody. On the notorious and so-called "Christmas recordings" of the Arcade Fire, you can hear me struggling through these issues as Brendan and I goof to "Jingle Bell Rock". Of course it was never imagined for public consumption.

By: I Love Tacos

I Love Tacos — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 15:01:25 -0800

This is pretty much the best Christmas song ever.