“Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis”

Happy Thursday, friends!  Hope the day is treating you well.

It is Christmas season isn’t it?  Yes: December 8th, just two days past the Feast Day of St Nicholas, the Greek/Turkish Bishop who has somehow morphed into the red-cheeked & portly elf of unfettered capitalism. 

Christmas is an odd season for those of us who live by the Christian calendar but are—like myself—agnostic/secular humanist or just more or less non-religious rabble.  Because while the holiday is most certainly religious in origin, what it’s become in the States at least has very little religious content, but instead huge content related to “getting & spending,” to countless pleas to sentiment, to any number of “feel-good” stories from the blatant to the subliminal that seem to prime us for parting with significant amounts of money, while at the same time expecting our friends & family to do the same.

But make no mistake: while I may point this out, I’m as susceptible to the charms of the season as the next guy or gal.  I’ve always enjoyed the decorations & all the small traditions that grow up in a life regarding this holiday: watching a certain movie, always including a certain dish for Christmas dinner, always buying a beloved partner a particular type of gift, & so forth.  Most of us could compile a list.

& this list might include what may be the most pernicious aspect of theseason: the insistent holiday muzak track that assaults us in every single retail outlet, from grocery store to pharmacy to boutique & beyond.   Now, I should note that I don’t necessarily dislike the songs themselves; after all, I’m a working musician (at least when there’s work to be had!), & I’ve played a good number of these songs myself—in general, this season is a good one for getting gigs whether for cash or at least “singing for your supper.”  But the aerial bombardment of holiday muzak: this is truly pernicious.

In the past, I have posted holiday music on the blog, versions of holiday songs played by yours truly on various instruments.  I toyed with doing that again this year, but I decided against it, in part because I decided I didn’t feel like adding to the soundtrack of holiday standards. 

But then it occurred to me there’s something a bit strange—even phony in a way—for a blog that’s set-up like Robert Frost’s Banjo to pass the holiday season by without comment.  In fact the Christmas season is very much on my mind, tho I expect my observation of it this year will be much different than in most past years.  I’ll write more about that on the next two Thursdays.  & at the same time I’ll post a song that is related to the season without being in any way part of the usual soundtrack.

Today’s song is—of course!—by the great Tom Waits from his amazing 1978 album Blue Valentines.  While the song only mentions Christmas in its title, the litany of wishes, dreams, disappointments, losses & lies found in its lyrics seem to mesh perfectly with the season, as does Waits own compassionate if bemused view of the song’s prostitute narrator.  The music meanwhile is vintage 70s late 70s Waits: beautiful jazz chords put forth thru a tasty piano accompaniment.

A great song in every way!  Enjoy!