Even political junkies like me get tired of talking about politics. After 40 years of watching politics and over 20 years of watching Congress run around like chickens with their heads cut off warning about debt and a government shutdown, the theater gets old. I believe the American people are feeling it too.
It remains to be seen whether the Republicans in Congress end this act or extend the play into Christmas, but my focus has deliberately turned to Christmas and what really matters: the birth of the Savior and plans to welcome his entrance into the world and into my life for this season.
It’s our second Christmas in the Yellowhammer State, so my husband and I are still on a path of discovery and exploring new traditions. Now that we know more about the local celebrations, we may even get in a Christmas Eve service somewhere, particularly for the music. Music is yet another magnificent obsession in my life (aside from politics). As an amateur singer and occasional piano player, I believe part of the season’s beauty is the wealth of music it affords.
This Christmas, I decided to find connections between some of my favorite Christmas music and Alabama and was surprised by all the cool finds! Here are my top three favorites:
“Christmas in Dixie,” by the band “Alabama” makes the top spot. We are still very new to the South, so its unique rhythms and traditions are things we are learning and pressing into. “Christmas in Dixie” embodies the specialness that makes a Deep South holiday different from the rest of the country.
The song was released as a standalone record (older people, help the younger with that term) in 1982 from the RCA Nashville compilation album “A Country Christmas,” and was included on "Alabama’s" first Christmas album, “Alabama Christmas.” These were the days when radio play drove everything, and “Alabama Christmas” received a lot of it, even in the northern and western parts of the country.
“Christmas in Dixie” has been covered much over its 30-plus years, including as a duet with “Alabama” member Randy Owen and the Shoals’ own Percy Sledge in 2011. While not a fan of covers, that one and this 2020 cover by the a cappella group “Home Free” are my idea of instant classics. “Home Free” recorded it for their 2020 Christmas album, “Warmest Winter.” “Home Free” band member Adam Chance was born in 1984, a year before the original song’s second release. Chance also hails from Alabama, a Bay Minette boy who went to University of Alabama before moving to Nashville to launch his singing career. So, that’s probably one of the reasons “Home Free’s” rendition has the depth and presence it does.
Here is a lovely 2020 joint performance with “Home Free” and “Alabama.” RIP, Jeff Cook.
“Meet Me in St. Louis” is one of my favorite Christmas movies, and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, is one of my favorite songs written for the film. I performed it at a church Christmas concert many years ago, and a few of the renditions have regular rotation on my essential Christmas playlists. Much to my delight, I discovered that Hugh Martin hails from Birmingham, Ala.
The lyrics in the original song were modified a little by artists like Frank Sinatra, to make the song sound less melancholy and more upbeat. “Hang a shiny star upon the highest bough,” replaced the ending line, “Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow.” But I love the original Garland version the best. Because, hey, it’s Judy Garland, but also for the very reasons it was written: to express the sense of loss and melancholy, wreathed with hope. As out-of-state transplants who have also lost a great deal of family this past year, we are muddling through this Christmas; so, those lyrics ring the truest.
Finally, “Christmas Wish” (My Christmas Wish for You) is a lesser-known Percy Sledge song. It was written by Bill Jenkins and Muscle Shoals guitarist Jimmy Evans and recorded at the Muscle Shoals Sound studio where Sledge first recorded his seminal hit, “When A Man Loves A Woman.”
Like “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Christmas Wish” has tinges of melancholy rimmed in hope. As both my husband and I age, and as we navigate the grief of loss we have experienced this year, this part of the lyric strikes a significant chord:
“A hand to hold
As you climb the stairs
Friends that you remember
In your prayers
This is my Christmas wish for you
The precious blessing of each other
May every man be your brother
This is my Christmas wish for you.”
May you be surrounded by the love of Jesus and the love of your family, friends, and overarching community this Christmastime.
Merry Christmas!
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, As the Girl Turns, is an investigative journalist, author, opinion analyst, and contributor to 1819 News, Redstate, and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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