This year the stores didn't even wait for after Halloween to lay out the Christmas holiday decorations. Some folks have no shame. Tom Lehrer had his biting anti-holiday song and here's another favorite of mine (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 for chord placement, or buy the CD):


SUDDENLY IT'S CHRISTMAS

(Words & Music by Loudon Wainwright III
© 1993 Snowden Music Inc.
Slightly adapted by Charlie Ipcar - 1993)


G------------D-------------G-D-G-----C
Sud-den-ly it's Christ-mas, just af-ter Hall-o-ween;
---G----------------D-----------C----------D
For-get a-bout Thanks-giv-ing, that buf-fet in be-tween;
-------G--------------D------------------G----D—G----C
There's lights and tin-sel in the shops, they're stock-ing up the shelves;
G--------------D----------------C--------------D-G
San-ta's slav-ing at the Pole with his sweat shop full of elves.

There's got to be a build up for the day that Christ was born;
The malls are decked with pumpkins and ears of Injun corn;
Dragging through the falling leaves in a one-horse open sleigh;
Suddenly it's Christmas, seven weeks before the day.


Chorus:

C-------------G-------------D-------G-D-G
Sud-den-ly it's Christ-mas, the long-est hol-i-day
----------C------------G-------------------------C----G--D
When they say "Sea-sons Greet-ings!", they mean just what they say;
-----G------------D-------------G-D-G----C
It's a sea-son, it's a mar-a-thon – re-tail e-ter-ni-ty,
-----------G-----------D------------C--------------G
And it's not o-ver 'til it's o-ver and you throw a-way the tree.

Outside it's nice and balmy, in the air nary a nip;
Suddenly it's Christmas, Santa's on his trip;
Yes, they're working overtime, Santa's little runts;
Christmas comes but once a year – and hangs on for two months.(CHO)

Christmas carols in December, and November too;
It's no wonder we're depressed when the whole damn thing is through;
Finally, it's January, drag out Auld Lang Syne;
And here comes another heartache shaped like a valentine.

Final Chorus:

Suddenly it's Christmas, the longest holiday;
The season is upon us – it just won't go away;
It's a season, it's a marathon – retail eternity,
And it's not over 'til it's over and you throw away the tree;
No, it's not over 'til it's over and you throw away the tree;
It's still not over 'til it's over and you throw away the tree.

Any other seasonal thoughts?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble