Confession #47

Here goes: I have an intense dislike for "The Christmas Shoes," to the extent that hearing just a few notes of it when flipping through radio stations elicits a fairly violent response from me. Yes, "The Christmas Shoes," one of the most beloved songs of all time. To many people, this is akin to saying you don't like oxygen.

Here is a sample of the lyrics:

It was almost Christmas time
There I stood in another line
Trying to buy that last gift or two
Not really in the Christmas mood
Standing right in front of me
Was a little boy waiting anxiously
Pacing around like little boys do
And in his hands he held
A pair of shoes

And his clothes were worn and old
He was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say

Now, I love holiday songs as much as the next girl. I can Feliz Navidad with the best of them. I even have over 100 Christmas tunes on my iPod. But this cloying song with its treacly lyrics . . . I just can't hack it. I think what bugs me the most is the fact that the child is portrayed as poor AND dirty. It's not enough that his mom is dying and that he doesn't have enough pennies to buy her some shoes to meet Jesus, he also has to be a crudbucket on top of it. That those living in poverty are unclean - ah, I don't know, the concept just bugs me, I guess. And yet, the world was so moved by this song that it was made into a film. A film!

At times, we all need to be reminded that Christmas isn't just about commercialization and consumption. But seriously, aren't there less saccharine ways to get the message across? Even my personal favorite Christmas movie, "The Muppets Christmas Carol" does a better job of it.

So there you have it. Please accept my apologies for disliking "The Christmas Shoes." Don't even get me started on "Butterfly Kisses."

Comments

Jodi said…
FYI, I have hated the Butterfly Kisses song since the first time I heard it! I cringe when I'm stuck at a wedding and it is played...

Sorry! Hope that doesn't mean I'm evil!!!
December 2, 2009 at 7:20 PM
InWeighOverMyHead said…
I don't like the Christmas Shoes song either!
December 2, 2009 at 9:54 PM
Cassi said…
The first time I heard the Christmas shoes song, I cried. It's a sad song. No one should have to lose a family memeber over ANY holiday. I don't change the channel but it's not my favorite holiday tune. I definately agree that just because you are less fortunate then most, doesn't mean you have to be dirty. As for Butterfly Kisses, that just happens to be the song that someday I want to dance to at my wedding with my dad, I'm definately a "daddy's girl!" Sorry guys, it's a good song!!
December 3, 2009 at 5:50 AM
Alabaster Mom said…
Hi Cassi, if you invite me to your wedding, I promise I will be very quiet as I sit in the corner making gagging sounds while you dance with your dad. :-)
December 3, 2009 at 7:42 AM
Audreee said…
I have NEVER heard that song. I guess I should consider myself lucky. I hate Christmas music in general.
December 3, 2009 at 8:19 AM
Khudson33 said…
Never heard the song, or perhaps I have and its one that I go "what the heck is this crap... and push "thumbs down" on Pandora! Muppets Christmas is the favorite here as well!
December 3, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Steph K said…
I'll take the Misfit song from Rudolph over Christmas Shoes any day!
December 3, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Kalinda said…
Whew, I'm not the only one! I change the channel, too, when it comes on. I was riding with SIL the other day, she heard it, and cranked the truck's radio, saying "Ooh, I LOVE this song!" - ACK!
December 7, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's been a minute, but let's talk about my b*o*o*b*s

Image
I'm in the sixth grade. I'm sitting on the floor at my friend Sharon's house. Rachel is there, too. My well-meaning friends turn to me and gently let me know that I "really don't need to bother wearing a bra." They aren't wrong. I'm wearing one, but the situation doesn't particularly warrant it.  Two years later, I found myself sporting a C cup. My mom, a talented seamstress, made me a dress at about that time. It was a slim-fitting column dress with a matching jacket, as I recall. The white fabric had large polka dots; we jokingly called it the Wonder Bread dress. My mom took my measurements. 36-24-36 At some point in history, those numbers were considered "perfect measurements" for a woman. This was 1984; I'd like to think the world as a whole is less concerned about such things these days. I'm confident my daughter has no earthly idea what her measurements are. She just knows she's cute.  Growing up with a fun array of medi...
Read more

On Being Patriotic

The list of adjectives I assign to myself is pretty long: clumsy, organized, competent, uptight, etc. One that might surprise you: patriotic. I fully understand what it means to be an American and am darned happy about living here. But, I have a beef (that part won't surprise you). I've grown tired of certain segments of the population thinking that they've cornered the market on patriotism or that they can dictate precisely how the rest of us express ourselves when it comes to our shared country and flag. Sometimes it seems like the Toby-Keith-boot-in-yer-ass brand of patriotism drowns out the rest of us. For the record, I don't believe that patriotism requires a love of NASCAR, a disdain for immigrants, a Republican voting record, or a preference for country music. Nor does it require adherence to a specific religion. I've seen Facebook posts from some of my friends and acquaintances that call for all of us to return to the "Christian principles on which ...
Read more

14 Weeks

Image
My baby is leaving me in 14 weeks.  She and I started touring colleges in May of 2022. When I applied to colleges back in 1988, I was an English major so there were no auditions. Colleges basically just said, "Sounds good. Come on in." I was the first person in my immediate family to go to college and as a whole, I don't think we understood the importance of campus visits and such. I ended up being fairly miserable that first year until I transferred to a school closer to home. For my daughter, I wanted to make sure she had an opportunity to see lots of college campuses so that she had the best shot at figuring out what she wants out of the college experience. I wanted her to look at elements like campus size and location, diversity, activities, distance from home, and distance from the nearest "big city" (since performers often head to larger cities with active theatre scenes after college).  Last summer, we began the daunting process known as "getting int...
Read more