RevGal's Friday Five

1. A favorite 'secular' Christmas song.
Fairytale of New York. The Pogues featuring Kirsty McColl. The first time I heard it I was listening to a CD someone had sent me and was moved to tears right there in the car, waiting for the light to change. It's a little slow to warm up, but it's amazing. Watch this live recording. You won't regret it.

2. Christmas song that chokes you up (maybe even in spite of yourself--the cheesier the better)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas as sung by Judy Garland from a live concert.

It's such a song of lost innocence and threadbare hope and you can hear Judy wanting to believe it.

Things are bad now, you're alone now, you're an adult and you're never going to have a golden, innocent Christmas again. But someday it might get better. It's not a promise. It's just a possibility. And that sliver of hope is enough to hold on to for one more year.

3. Christmas song that makes you want to stuff your ears with chestnuts roasted on an open fire.

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney. Oh how I hate this song. In fact, I'm not entirely sure this one crime does not invalidate at least one, possibly all, of his releases with The Beatles.

4. The Twelve Days of Christmas: is there *any* redeeming value to that song? Discuss.

Of course there is redeeming value to this song. Aside from it being an excellent test to see if you've had too much to drink --"ooon the firsht day of Chrisssshmush…ANDLETMETELLYOUANOTHERTHING!" it's a lot of fun to sing with kids.

5. A favorite Christmas album

World Market released a few good Christmas albums last year, but right now I'm totally grooving on "Holiday Swing" which I got for $1 at Big Lots. Also, how could I forget RuPaul's Christmas Album "Ho Ho Ho"?