Songs to Play at my Funeral

This is another in my “series” of Then/Now songs. These are songs where I did an early version on the 4 track and then later recorded it with a little better tools like GarageBand. It is my clever way of trying to stress to you, the reader/listener, that I have improved over time.

This is an interesting one because if you believe the lyrics in a literal sense you might think that I needed booze to get through a holiday and that I have a certain level of stress around the holiday time, and that simply isn’t true. I love the holidays and in particular Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the traditions of both holidays and I love getting together with my kids, but also having the extended family here as well. I love the Christmas music and I love that we have our regemin of holiday movies that we MUST watch each season. It starts with Trains, Planes and Automobiles before Thanksgiving and Christmas Vacation on Thanksgiving night to kick off the Christmas season. After that it is dealers choice, but has to include movies like Love Actually (a good early entry in the season), Family Man (one of the few good Nic Cage movies out there), Grinch (Jim Carrey version), Elf, maybe a classic like Miracle on 34th or Wonderful Life, then finished off on Christmas Eve with the annual viewing of A Christmas Story (this is mandatory viewing).

So, this is what makes this song so interesting to me. Full disclosure, I do believe I was enjoying a cocktail or two while writing this one, so it might just be that I had booze on my mind while writing it. However, I think this is one of the best written songs lyrically, that I have done (at least at this phase in my progression). I like the melody, but the lyrics are fun and clever.

First off, here are the official lyrics:

Drinking Again This Christmas

It’s Christmas time again
Tryin to shake off all of those blues
Gonna buy me some presents
Or a brand new pair of shoes

But the malls are all packed
And the stores are all jammed
Gonna find me a bottle
And then go get slammed

I’m drinkin again this Christmas
It’s the only way I know how
I’m drinkin again this Christmas
I’m the only one smiling now

My kid asks me, Daddy
Is there really a Santa Claus?
I reply through the haze
There is, he’s just got flaws

So the family comes to visit
And I’m feelin just a mess
I drank so much today
That I’m wearin the party dress

I’m drinkin again this Christmas
It’s the only way I know how
I’m drinkin again this Christmas
I’m the only one smiling now

I have to brag a little that I really like this verse (Think Ralphie in A Christmas Story where he boasts after reading his own line in his theme: “that’s great”):

My kid asks me, Daddy
Is there really a Santa Claus?
I reply through the haze
There is, he’s just got flaws

It is right in line with my own insecurities. If this song is autobiographical at all, this verse might be the prime example. When my kid asks me such an innocent question of “Daddy, is there really a Santa Claus?” that I would answer so cynically “Sure, he’s just got flaws.” A man who is constantly questioning his own self worth. Admittedly, that is me. Although, it has been fun to analyze these lyrics that I have written and to see that my real insecurities are in there. That these songs were my own self induced therapy.

Now on to the songs themselves:

This first version was done on the 4 track. You will notice a nice cheesy, Christmas bells backtrack. While the chord structure is nothing to write home about, it does have a little different style to it in the subtle change up in strum pattern between verse and chorus. It is probably so subtle you may not notice, but it is noticeable to me so, just trust me. You might also notice the double track where I try to do a higher voice in contrast, but again, subtle. These early recordings have a nice “singing in a toilet paper tube” kinda quality. Which is why I like to show the contrast. Here is the first version:

The updated version is less “Christmasy” and a bit slower, but I think a better quality all around. There are some layered guitars and even an attempt at a bass line in the chorus, which is just playing the low E string on my guitar. Again, it is subtle, but I think it is my insecurities as a guitar player and not wanting anything to stand out or suffer the consequences of someone saying “what the heck was that?” Overall, I really like this song. I like the fuller sound of this updated recording. I like my voice in this. It isn’t perfect, but it has more character than my earlier version for sure. I like the clean ending (listen to the ending of the original and you will appreciate the upgrade) and again, I really like the lines “He is, he’s just got flaws” as well as “Drank so much today that I’m wearin the party dress.” That is just a fun one, hopefully no underlying meaning.