Page 12 - Write Away Magazine Dec 2019
P. 12
So This Is Christmas... And What Have You Done?
In our last episode, one of the points we touched actually what you need,or so I would suggest:
upon was the need to tell a story that was new, something outside the sappy “Love is great”
or at least an emotional groove that was new… song...with “love” changed out to “Christmas”.
.”Love is great”, we said, was a statement that, Which brings us to a personal story:
while true, was so universal as to be the worst
of all artistic sins: not interesting. And if there In 2014, I decided to take up the challenge of
were a “runner-up” prize for “Most dangerous a Christmas song. Hazardous, I knew….but
quagmire for new songwriters”, what could be a hadn’t I already written the “Best Song in the
more deserving candidate than Christmas! (we World”? Well, I hadn’t...but I was runner-up
note, as an aside, that topics like this are (twice) in a contest called that. And I still had
particularly perilous for new, upcoming those Elixir coated guitar strings I had won as
songwriters…..songwriters with widespread, “honorable mention” in a Billboard songwriting
universal appeal seem to get away with contest….so I was clearly qualified ( I thought) to
generalized pap they call universal much more take on a challenge that had reduced so many
easily...did Paul McCartney just click to a new talented writers to….dreck. But what to do….
webpage? Well, if so, I hope he took his what fresh spin could I possibly…...AH HA! It
Christmas bells (and John Lennon’s children’s came to me in a great moment of clarity (or so
choir with him…..but I digress) I thought). I scribbled a few lines, and called
the band for rehearsal. I began teaching them
Christmas! Where religion, family, food,... and my epic: “All I want for Christmas is...a divorce”.
toys coalesce….and don’t forget alcohol! If, as Suddenly, my wife Amy, who rarely takes
the rehab counselors say, addiction is a interest in musical matters, burst into the room.
downward spiral of chasing a first time high over “Did you write that? Is that yours?”, she asked.
and over, but never quite as good….well that’s an “Uh…..maybe”, I sheepishly replied. There
apt description of what Christmas becomes for was a pause that perhaps seemed longer than it
many adults. That’s a whole nother book! The was…...and she responded “That’s the best song
problem for songwriters, however centers around you EVER wrote!”....I couldn’t be sure, but she
the fact that so many people already have very SEEMED neither sarcastic nor upset…..I chalked
strong emotional impressions from idealized it up to the power of ART….I think.
(half remembered) childhood experiences--they You decide, here it is:
already “know” more about Christmas than you
could possibly tell them. But they want you to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-c4G-
try. F4Rxpc
Sales of Christmas songs clearly holler that (or www.wildcatohalloran.com
“carol” that, if you prefer). The waterfront,
unfortunately, has already been well covered, And Merry Christmas….also
which accounts for the further and further
“reaches” in order to say something new…. Happy holidays, Blessed Kwanza
did the authors of “Grandma got run over by a etc
reindeer” just click to a new webpage? Could
they take the barking dog Jingle Bells people with
them? This is kinda for songwriters, ok.
Actually, though, Grandma and her reindeer are
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