Holiday Helpings: Sufjan Stevens And The Worst Christmas Ever
Sufjan Stevens makes us hate Christmas for a couple of minutes.
I'm a sucker for traditional Christmas carols - give me a choral version of "Joy to the World" at any point in December, and I'll be happy. Hell, I'll even take "All I Want For Christmas Is You" sung by the one and only Mariah Carey. However, sometimes-diehard carol-lovers need to temper all that holiday enthusiasm with a song that's a little more honest. When I first heard "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" by Sufjan Stevens, I was struck by the beautiful simplicity of the banjo/piano medley and the ethereal harmonies. And then I was extremely depressed after listening to the decidedly un-festive lyrics.
While the theme of this track is certainly melancholy, I find that this is one of my favorite songs to listen to during the season. Because let's be honest - beneath all of the joy and warmth that the holidays promise, those same holidays can also cause a ton of tension within families that don't normally find themselves spending loads of time together. With his trademark directness, Sufjan sums up those complicated issues with these lyrics: "silent night, holy night/silent night, nothing feels right."
Posted by Alyssa Vincent on Dec 17, 2009 @ 8:30 am
