Tag Archives: Santa Claus Is Comin To Town

Jul 01

#LOTD2013: December Playlist

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#LOTD2013: December PlaylistAfter a long, long, LOOOOOONG delay, I’m bound and determined to post the rest of my Lyric-of-the-Day project playlists from 2013-2014. As a refresher, each day from Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2014, I posted a lyric on my Twitter feed. At the end of each month, I created a Spotify playlist of the songs featured, and throughout much of 2013-14 here on the blog, I was posting links and more information on those lyrics and playlists.

The latest playlist to (finally) get a work-up in my Lyric-of-the-Day project is from December 2013. Here’s that month’s #LOTD2013 playlist (find the Spotify playlist I’ve created from these lyrics linked at the end of the post or on the clickable image at right), with some brief explanations (in italics) for a number of the lyrics.

  • “Jesus was born and so I get presents/Thank you Jesus for being born” #Cartman “O Holy Night” #LOTD2013 12/1 #SouthPark
  • “Then comes that big night/Giving the tree the trim/You’ll hear voices by starlight” #Sinatra “Mistletoe & Holly” #LOTD2013 12/2
  • “We know that Christmas will be green & bright/Sun to shine by day & all the stars at night” #BingCrosby “Mele Kalikimaka” #LOTD2013 12/3
  • “I want to roll around like a kid in the snow/I want to re-learn what I already know” #TheKillers “A Great Big Sled” #LOTD2013 12/4
  • “Chains no longer bind me/Not the shackles at my feet/Outside are the prisoners/Inside the free” #U2 “Silver & Gold” #LOTD2013 12/5 #Mandela (South African apartheid hero Nelson Mandela passed away, necessitating this break from the holiday tunes to drop U2’s homage to him.)
  • “You’ll get a sentimental feeling when you hear/Voices singing ‘Let’s be jolly'” #BrendaLee “Rockin Around The Christmas Tree” #LOTD2013 12/6
  • “Santa’s got to make it to town/Santa make him hurry/Tell him he can take the freeway down” #ChuckBerry “Run Rudolph Run” #LOTD2013 12/7
  • “So this is Xmas/I hope you have fun/The near & the dear one/The old & the young” #JohnLennon “Happy Xmas (War Is Over) #LOTD2013 12/8 #RIP (43rd anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon.)
  • “There’s a tree in the Grand Hotel/One in the park as well” #PerryComo “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” #LOTD2013 12/9
  • “There’ll be parties for hosting/Marshmallows for toasting” #AndyWilliams “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” #LOTD2013 12/10 (The Response team hosted its annual Winter Bash cocktail party in New York City.)
  • “City sidewalks busy sidewalks/Dressed in holiday style/In the air/There’s a feeling of Christmas” #DerBingle “Silver Bells” #LOTD2013 12/11
  • “I’ve been for a walk/On a winter’s day/I’d be safe and warm/If I was in L.A.” #MamasAndPapas “California Dreamin'” #LOTD2013 12/12 (Throwing out some hometown love from a very cold Thursday in New York City.)
  • “Rhymes so loud and proud you hear it/It’s Christmas time and we got the spirit” #RunDMC “Christmas In Hollis” #LOTD2013 12/13
  • “The orange and palm trees sway/There’s never been such a day in old L.A.” #DarleneLove #PhilSpector “White Christmas” #LOTD2013 12/14
  • “She’s candyapple red with a ski for a wheel/When Santa hits the gas/Man just watch her peel” #BeachBoys “Little Saint Nick” #LOTD2013 12/15
  • “Oh that we could always see/Such spirit through the year” #VinceGuaraldiTrio “Christmas Time Is Here” #LOTD2013 12/16
  • “What a bright time/It’s the rite time/To rock the nite away/Jingle bell time/Is a swell time”#BobbyHelms “Jingle Bell Rock” #LOTD2013 12/17
  • “So anxious for your look of joy and delight/Waiting for just your surprise” #SmashingPumpkins “Christmastime” #LOTD2013 12/18
  • “Church bells in town/Ringin’ a song/What a happy sound” #DarleneLove #PhilSpector #U2 “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” #LOTD2013 12/19 (Hopped a plane “home” to Boston to spend the holidays with my future wife’s family.)
  • “Sleigh bells ring, are you listening/In the lane, snow is glistening” #Eurythmics “Winter Wonderland” #LOTD2013 12/20
  • “Through the years we all will be together/If the fates allow” #LouRawls “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” #LOTD2013 12/21
  • “I feel just like I wanna kiss you underneath my mistletoe” #BruceSpringsteen #OtisRedding “Merry Christmas Baby” #LOTD2013 12/22 (Got engaged to my baby in Newburyport, Mass.)
  • “Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time” #BandAid “Do They Know It’s Christmas” #LOTD2013 12/23 pic.twitter.com/aXIsH5YhlL
  • “He knows if you’ve been bad or good/You better be good for goodness sake” #Bruce #EStreetBand “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” #LOTD2013 12/24
  • “And so I’m offering this simple phrase/To kids from one to 92” #NatKingCole “The Christmas Song” #LOTD2013 12/25 #MerryChristmas
  • “Our little group has always been/And always will until the end/Hello hello hello how low” #Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” #LOTD2013 12/26 (Group dinner with Caitlin’s old friends in Boston.)
  • “Me and my cousins/And you and your cousins/It’s a line that is always running” #VampireWeekend “Cousins” #LOTD2013 12/27 (Family party in Maine with Caitlin’s many cousins.)
  • “I used to dream/Of better days that never came/Sorry ain’t nothin’ to me” #BlackCrowes “Seeing Things” #LOTD2013 12/28
  • “I’m goin’ back to Cali/Shakin’em, bakin’em/Takin’em to spots they never before hung” #LLCoolJ “Going Back To Cali” #LOTD2013 12/29 (Flying home to L.A. after a great holiday.)
  • “I feel that ice is slowly melting/Little darling it seems like years since it’s been clear” #Beatles “Here Comes The Sun” #LOTD2013 12/30
  • “As vintage wine from fine old kegs/From the brim to the dregs/It poured sweet and clear” #Sinatra “It Was A Very Good Year” #LOTD2013 12/31

Here’s the Spotify playlist if you’d like to listen along: #LOTD2013: December

Dec 10

Another Quick Bruce Review: The Pond

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After a week of letting this show — one of the best I’ve seen from the band, well, ever — settle in, here are some quick notes and thoughts for fans (with the images from Backstreets.com):

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Honda Center, Anaheim, December 4, 2012

  • Land Of Hope And Dreams (with Tom Morello): After its run on Fox’s baseball coverage this fall, I was wondering how it would hold up. And, surprisingly, for a song that’s usually been a set closer throughout its long career, it worked rather well in the lead-off role.
  • Adam Raised A Cain: The first sign we might be in for something special. A personal favorite and always a stellar fit in the important No. 2 song role as a true tone-setter.
  • Streets Of Fire: Wow, here we go. I haven’t looked back through all the old setlists of shows I’ve seen, but I wouldn’t be stunned if this was my first go-round with this one.
  • Hungry Heart: Four songs in and Bruce had the crowd in the palm of his hand. The famed sing-along brings those goosebumps every time.
  • We Take Care Of Our Own: If you’d have told me we’d already have heard the previous four songs before this one, I’d have thought you were yanking my chain. The band really has this song on autopilot now. Strong stuff.
  • Wrecking Ball: Great version, especially excellent vocal work from Springsteen on this night.

  • The message and music of “Death To My Hometown” is unmistakable.

    Death To My Hometown (with Tom Morello): This song — especially with Morello helping out — deserves a high place in the Springsteen annals. Such a timely, powerful, populist message with amazing Irish folk tinging. Brilliant.

  • My City Of Ruins: I get what he’s looking to accomplish with the long version of this song in this spot, but it definitely slows the pace of the show. Though the old “Bruce and Steve Do Disneyland” story is always worth the great laughs it draws.
  • Spirit In The Night: Brilliant and sing-along worthy.
  • The E Street Shuffle: Fun choice. These past two got the groove completely back after the set had slowed a bit.
  • Long Time Comin’ (solo acoustic): From a fan’s request, this nugget from “Devils and Dust” was a revelation on this night. It’s always been an underrated song, but Bruce’s effort on this night lifted it higher.
  • Reason To Believe (roadhouse version): The Bo Diddley-style tracking on the blues version of this (first used extensively on the “Magic” tour) is fantastic.
  • This Depression (with Tom Morello): Great fit coming off of “Reason…”
  • Darkness On The Edge Of Town: You know how songs change meanings for you as you get older, but remain just as powerful — if not moreso? Yea. That.
  • Bad Luck (with Mike Ness): It’s always a crowd pleaser in SoCal when Bruce welcomes Ness. And the band just drilled this early ’90s Social D classic, as Bruce and Mike traded vocals.
  • Because The Night: A spotlight for Nils Lofgren’s soloing — and one he absolutely destroyed on this night.
  • Darlington County: A personal favorite from my teenage years. I always kind of feel like I’m having the best time in the room when I see this one live.
  • Shackled And Drawn: This new one kept the momentum going as the band seems to have taken to it well.
  • Waiting On A Sunny Day: I’d have never imagined this song becoming the staple it’s become. But it’s almost always a nice fit.
  • Raise Your Hand: Ah, harkening back to those first shows I saw in 1985.

  • Morello’s fireworks on “The Ghost Of Tom Joad” have become integral to the song’s power.

    The Ghost Of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello): I’m not afraid to say it: Morello has nearly risen to co-ownership of this song. I’ve seen his rousing guitar solo on it with the band many, many times. But it never fails to inspire awe.

  • Badlands (with Tom Morello): Coming off of “Tom Joad,” the crowd exploded with this one.
  • Thunder Road: To close the regular set, on this night, I couldn’t think of anything better.

******

  • Jungleland: It’s been 27 years and close to 20 shows now that I’ve been waiting for this. I missed seeing the Big Man do his epic solo, but dammit all if Jake Clemons didn’t do his uncle proud. The chance to finally see and hear this song performed live will go down as one of my 10 best personal moments of 2012, without question.
  • Born To Run: The band could have played just about anything here and my personal afterglow from “Jungleland” would have made it great. The fact that Bruce just dropped this four-song string on this crowd and capped it with “BTR” … insane.
  • Dancing In The Dark: It’s funny to think that this song was really on the outs for so long. It feels so great now.
  • Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town: Again, 27 years and another first timer. This is more understandable, as this is the first December Springsteen show I’ve seen. But with Bruce’s version being a personal holiday favorite since my early teen years, this one was sweet.
  • Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (with Tom Morello): “When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band …” Such a perfect celebration and rememberance. And a fitting finale, as usual.