Our theme this week is Jingle Bells, and no one has posted the song. So I’ve been left to think about it all week. Everyone should know that it’s very dangerous to leave me alone like that. After all, there are countless versions of this holiday classic, and one or two were bound to be .. well... odd. Kind of like the obscure relatives who fill peoples houses at this time of year, never to be seen again, until next year.
First, there is the close family. Different versions of Jingle Bells itself, for different moods.
Chromatics: One Horse Open Sleigh
(purchase info not available)
Christmas is at Granma’s house this year. At her age she does an amazing job of looking like an old-time movie star. She loves the classic songs of the season, but she doesn’t want anyone to know that she’s forgotten the words. So she makes up her own.
Crash Test Dummies: Jingle Bells
[purchase]
Cousin Crash will be there. That’s what she wants us to call her. Her birth name is Violet. She’ll be wearing dark rings of makeup around her eyes, and her skin will be even paler than we remember. She’ll make the sweetest songs sound like funerals, be we love her anyway. We have to, she’s family.
Diana Krall: Jingle Bells
[purchase]
Cousin Diana always brightens the mood, but she does tend to get a little wild.
Pearl Bailey: Jingle Bells Cha Cha Cha
[purchase]
Cousin Pearl always manages to get everybody into a conga line sometime during the evening. And we never feel embarrassed about it until we think about it later.
There are also the distant cousins. The songs are not Jingle Bells at all, but they must be relatives.
Jo-El Sonnier: Jingle Bell Rock
[purchase]
Cousin Jo-El always brings Cajun spiced shrimp. They sure are tasty! And he never says much.
Jodie Levins: Jingle Bells Boogie
[purchase]
Nobody can remember how cousin Jody is related to us. He shows up in a cowboy hat and bolo tie, and sits in a corner playing his guitar all night. Occasionally, he’ll stop playing for bit, and get to mumbling about Bob Wills.
I can’t imagine any of them not being there, And I’m looking forward to it.