depressing holiday music playlist

February 22, 2005 3:03 PM

I am interested in putting together a playlist of music featuring depressing / creepy holiday music [MI]

meaning broken relationships or creepy / weird songs about the holidays. I was inspired by Santa's Beard by They Might Be Giants - in the song a man is complaining about his wife kissing his friend who is dressed up like Santa.

Any songs come to mind?

posted by Julnyes to media & arts (40 comments total)

There's the "Cherry Tree Carol" where Joseph verbally pimp-slaps the pregnant Virgin Mary.

I put out a Christmas Mix every year and there's some really great disturbing Christmas music out there. I'd also recommend "The Cat Carol" where a poor kitty freezes to death on Christmas Evening.
posted by ColdChef at 3:12 PM on February 22, 2005

"Christmas in Jail"
posted by ColdChef at 3:12 PM on February 22, 2005

My geekness is showing: Weird Al's "Christmas at Ground Zero."
posted by ColdChef at 3:14 PM on February 22, 2005

Obligatory: "I know it's over" by The Smiths.
posted by MLIS at 3:15 PM on February 22, 2005

"12.23.95" by Jimmy Eat World.

and you might want to check out the Bright Eyes Christmas album. Some not so happy renditions of holiday standards.
posted by rooftop secrets at 3:20 PM on February 22, 2005

See also. A MetaFilter Classic.
posted by ColdChef at 3:20 PM on February 22, 2005

Not creepy or depressing, precisely, but Tom Lehrer's A Christmas Carol is nicely cynical.
posted by hippugeek at 3:25 PM on February 22, 2005

"Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk this Christmas" by John Denver
posted by ColdChef at 3:27 PM on February 22, 2005

Some may find Joan Jett's emphasis of the word 'come' in the "Little Drummer Boy" somewhat creepy.
posted by mischief at 3:28 PM on February 22, 2005

"I will be hating you for Christmas" by Everclear. It was a hidden track on one of their cds.
posted by Manjusri at 3:55 PM on February 22, 2005

Christmas Eve Sarajevo (12/24) -- Savatage (also by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Christmas in Prison -- John Prine

Same Auld Lang Syne -- Dan Fogelberg
posted by joaquim at 4:03 PM on February 22, 2005

Fairytale of New York -- Pogues
posted by sophieblue at 4:12 PM on February 22, 2005

The Arrogant Worms' Christmas Turkey. Half the album fits your bill.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 4:15 PM on February 22, 2005

1) Oi to the World by The Vandals. The entire disc is superb, but highlights include "Hang Myself From the Tree", "Grandpa's Last Christmas", "Nothing's Going to Ruin My Holiday", "Christmas Time for My Penis", and "My First Christmas As a Woman". If you're not familiar with The Vandals, those song titles might give you the impression that they're a group of obnoxious, self-impressed Orange County ten year olds, which is not strictly true. They're simply the best, funniest, most sarcastic, smartest, and leanest punk band working today.

2) A John Waters Christmas. Featuring "Here Comes Fatty Claus" and "Santa Claus is a Black Man". Not universally depressing, but worth a look.

3) Other stuff after I think some more.
posted by gramschmidt at 4:22 PM on February 22, 2005

I can't believe no one's said "Brick" by Ben Folds Five.

It is the most depressing song ever and it takes place during holiday time.
posted by SoftRain at 5:00 PM on February 22, 2005

My geekness is showing: Weird Al's "Christmas at Ground Zero."

I see your Ground Zero and raise you one The Night Santa Went Crazy
posted by Robot Johnny at 5:30 PM on February 22, 2005

I wouldn't call Jingle Rock Bell "creepy" or "depressing," but it's certainly something.
posted by rafter at 5:53 PM on February 22, 2005

Lotsa good ideas in these two threads.

And from this list, Bummed Out Christmas.
posted by hydrophonic at 5:54 PM on February 22, 2005

And from the suggestions at Amazon, this compilation.

"Santa Doesn't Cop Out on Dope" by Sonic Youth looks like a must-have.
posted by hydrophonic at 5:58 PM on February 22, 2005

Not terribly well-known outside Asutralia, but Paul Kelly's How to Make Gravy is sad in a way that only Christmas in Prison can be
posted by bunglin jones at 6:02 PM on February 22, 2005

Also, "Snake Oil Tanker" by Alkaline Trio, an emo break-up Christmas song.

And I can't believe no one suggested "The Chimney Song" yet:
There's something stuck up in the chimney
And I don't know what it is,
But it's been there all year long.
I'll been waiting up for Santa like I did last year
But my brother says, "He's already here."

Oh, and I second "Fairytail of New York" by the Pogues. Not only is it exactly what you are looking for, but it is an excellent song in it's own right.
posted by rafter at 6:04 PM on February 22, 2005

The Twin Peaks 12 Days of Christmas, which I believe was posted on MeFi recently.
posted by mischief at 6:34 PM on February 22, 2005

Anything by Bob Rivers. The "What's It To Ya" Chorus, or "Chipmunks Roasting Over an Open Fire," for example. :)
posted by WCityMike at 6:45 PM on February 22, 2005

...and this song-poem compilation looks good, although maybe more odd than sad.

...and Charles Brown's "Please Come Home for Christmas".
posted by hydrophonic at 6:48 PM on February 22, 2005

There's the extremely politically incorrect Tiny Tim song Santa Claus Has Got The Aids this Year which he recorded in his hotel room.
posted by phirleh at 7:23 PM on February 22, 2005

British rock band Six by Seven do a nasty version of I Believe in Father Christmas which you can get on this album
posted by ascullion at 7:33 PM on February 22, 2005

"Here Comes Santa's Pussy," by The Frogs. So very jolly.
posted by jtron at 7:35 PM on February 22, 2005

"Shouldn't Have Given Him a Gun For Christmas" by Wall of Voodoo. Definitely fits the "creepy" requirement, and strangely catchy, too.
posted by Aster at 7:44 PM on February 22, 2005

"Dead, Dead, Dead" from Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics (yeah, a South Park CD). The rest of the tracks on the CD are mostly offensive, but that single track isn't offensive, and is quite depressing AND about the holidays.
posted by Meagan at 8:20 PM on February 22, 2005

Lisa Germano: "Messages from Sophia" (from "Excerpts from a Love Circus"):

You can carry me home now
You can carry me home
I'm drunk and it's christmas
We haven't talked for a while
You can carry me home now
Would you just carry me home

And the Kinks' "Father Christmas":

Father christmas, give us some money
We’ll beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father christmas, give us some money
Don’t mess around with those silly toys

But give my daddy a job ’cause he needs one
He’s got lots of mouths to feed
But if you’ve got one, I’ll have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids down the street
posted by mudpuppie at 8:21 PM on February 22, 2005

"Father Christmas" from the Kinks and "River" by Joni Mitchell (quoth the old person).

And although they are classics, "I'll be Home for Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (the latter in the context of its film) are actually amazingly depressing.
posted by bibliowench at 8:22 PM on February 22, 2005

"Christmas" by the Posies.
posted by litlnemo at 8:34 PM on February 22, 2005

"Last Christmas" by Wham!
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - U2
"Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)" - The Ramones
posted by SisterHavana at 8:46 PM on February 22, 2005

The most depressing Christmas song I know?
The 25th of Decemeber by Everything But the Girl

And I see forests and it's the 25th of December
and my old man plays the piano for Christmas.
He plays the piano for Christmas.

And we're all there, all the aunties and uncles,
and the angle's on the top of the tree.
Up there o the top of the tree.

And I never, no I never ever realised.
And I never, no I never ever realised.

Have I enough time, have I just some time,
to revisit, to go back, to return, to open my mouth again
and say something different this time.

And I see bags of newspaper and a car in the carport,
and you're a grown up and still unsure,
and I'm thirty and I don't know nothing no more.

And I never, no I never ever realised.
And I never, no I never ever realised.

And I'm sitting, sitting on the top of the stairs,
and you're crying out on the towpath by the river
with all the swans and all the people walking by.

And all of a sudden I'm stuck with an urge to unlock a door
with a key that's too big for my hands
and I drop it, and it falls at your feet.

Come on, come on, it's there at your feet.
And I never, no I never ever realised.
And I never, no I never ever realised.

posted by Robot Johnny at 9:41 PM on February 22, 2005

Well, in the "Depressing" vein (tho not so weird), ubergoth label Projekt (Hi, Sam!) put out 3 christmas CDs in the mopeygoth ethereal realm, aptly named Excelsis.

Also, the band Over the Rhine released a cd called The Darkest Night of the Year with the most depressing version of Greensleeves ever, with a bass guitar doing a pretty damn good Tom Waits impression.
posted by softlord at 9:47 PM on February 22, 2005

"364 Days" and "Dead by Christmas" by the Murder City Devils are both pretty grim.

Also, "Christmastime" by the Smashing Pumpkins.
posted by Luther Blissett at 10:57 PM on February 22, 2005

wow - I guess it would be silly to mark all these as the best answers, but they are!
posted by Julnyes at 7:09 AM on February 23, 2005

The Primitives did a kind of creepy version of Silent Night on a pretty awful christmas music comp. actually, there's a bunch of creepy music on there, but probably not creepy for the reasons you're looking for.
posted by soplerfo at 7:30 AM on February 23, 2005

"Red Water (Christmas Mourning)" by Type O Negative. Not one of their better tracks, but it fits the bill.

And while it's not depressing, XTC's "Welcome to Christmas Party Time" is definitely weird.
posted by squidlarkin at 8:22 AM on February 23, 2005

Countdown to Christmas Party Time. I knew that didn't sound right.
posted by squidlarkin at 8:24 AM on February 23, 2005