These Are A Few of My Favorite Songs

Hello, people of the Internet (and also a few who actually exist in the real world). I got the idea for today’s blog post very last-minute. Between making Christmas gifts, running to and from the post office to mail packages, and playing Among Us with friends, I haven’t really been able to focus on my blog very much. Fortunately, it does look like I will have a post this week. That’s always great.

Anyway…Christmas! It’s only four days until Christmas, and let me tell you, I’m not quite sure what to think. It feels like only yesterday that we put up our tree and decorated it. My favorite thing about the holiday season, besides hanging out with family and giving gifts, is the music. (You thought I was going to say the food, didn’t you? Well, prepare to be shocked. I haven’t baked a single Christmas cookie this year. A tragedy, I know.)

Today, I’d like to share a few of my favorite Christmas songs. Some are songs that I love hearing on the radio year after year, and others are in a playlist on YouTube that (I am not ashamed to admit) I created in January. Get ready for a lot of song recommendations. I couldn’t be bothered to rank them, so I will just introduce each one and elaborate a little on why I like it. Feel free to listen to them, if you have the time.

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The Christmas song that I remember most fondly is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” My favorite version of it (admittedly the only one I’ve heard) is by Casting Crowns.

I love this song not only because of the melody and feeling of the song, but also the lyrics. They hit deep.

Particularly these:

And in despair I bowed my head

There is no peace on earth I said

For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men

…

Then rang the bells more loud and deep

God is not dead, nor doth He sleep

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men

source

This song, so full of hope and wonder, is one of the only Christmas songs that makes me shed a tear. There’s a cool story behind the song, too; its origin is a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863.

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Last year, my favorite Christmas song was “Carol of the Bells (Sing We Now of Christmas)” by BarlowGirl.

This arrangement of the song is so beautiful. I love trying to keep up with how fast they sing.

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I have to mention the song that my family once discovered on YouTube when trying to find a version of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” I even recommended it to a local Christian radio station, and they played it for a few years. Sadly, I have not heard them play it at all this year.

“Twelve Days of Christmas (How I Want To Sing)” by Jaime Jamgochian.

Something my family still hasn’t been able to figure out is why you apparently cannot sing on the 7th Day of Christmas. It seems like the day of rest would be a perfect time to sing praises to God. That aside, this song is so fun to sing and always brings back wonderful memories.

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I can’t talk about Christmas songs (or songs in general) without mentioning Owl City. He has made some of the funniest Christmas songs in the history of planet Earth (at least in my estimation). Owl City’s songs tend to be very bouncy, electronic, and happy-sounding. He’s one of my favorite artists. I like probably 90% of his songs, and a few months ago his music was all I listened to.

First off is “Humbug.”

It’s a masterpiece. Relatable, humorous, sweet, and catchy, it’s easily in my top 10 favorite Christmas songs.

Next is “Peppermint Winter.” Isn’t that a delightful name?

This one might make the top 5 list. Just like “Humbug,” it has quite a bit of humor and always makes me laugh when I hear it. It also includes some very thought-provoking bits. That’s one of the reasons why I love Owl City so much. Many of his songs can sound a little bizarre at first, but he has a knack for veiling deep ideas with layers of (sometimes strange-sounding) symbolism. Case in point, “Galaxies,” “The Real World,” “Bird With A Broken Wing,” and “Kamikaze.” His songs can make you feel nostalgic about a time you never knew.

I probably should have saved all this praise for a post dedicated specifically to Owl City, but as they say, c’est la vie. If you don’t like Owl City, that’s fine. I know everyone has different tastes in music. But you should know that about 40% of my brain is made of Owl City music, so you’d have to dislike 40% of me. (I’m kidding.)

Back to the music!

My favorite lyrics in the above Owl City song are these:

All this holiday cheer

Heaven knows where it goes

But it returns every year

And though this winter does nothing but storm

The joy in my heart is ablaze and it’s keeping me warm

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It does feel like this year has done “nothing but storm,” but I have joy in my heart. I think despite everything, this Christmas will be good.

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You might be offended to hear that I never used to like “Silent Night” (definitely not because I sang it for a Christmas play audition and didn’t get the part I wanted), but when I heard this version, I had to rethink my opinion.

I have loved Svrcina’s music for a while now. She always sings with such feeling, and this song is no exception. Her version of “Silent Night” holds beauty, truth, and goodness, putting it in my top 10 favorite Christmas songs.

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TobyMac has made so many great Christmas songs, too. One of my favorites is “Christmas This Year.” Like Owl City’s holiday-themed songs, this one always makes me feel happy.

And guess what? Owl City and TobyMac did a Christmas song together. The best of both worlds.

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Another song that has caught my attention this year is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Two versions in particular I have heard a lot on the radio.

First, Aaron Shust’s. (The beginning in Latin is such a cool element to the song.)

For King & Country’s is really good, too. (I am a big fan of their music.)

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And finally, I have to mention a somewhat odd song that I don’t even know can be considered a Christmas song. I’ve been hearing “My Favorite Things” on the radio lately, a version by Plumb. It’s actually really good, and it inspired the name of this blog post. Unfortunately, I cannot find a version of it on Youtube, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

I think that wraps up my list of favorite holiday songs. What do you think? Should “My Favorite Things” be considered a Christmas song? What’s your all-time favorite Christmas song? Is there a Christmas song that you would erase from the face of the earth? (I would give my answer for that one, but I have a feeling people would get angry, so I won’t. 😛 )

Also, I’d really appreciate it if you gave this post a “like” and subscribed to my blog! It lets me know you enjoy my content and encourages me to create more. Thanks for reading, friends, and have a Merry Christmas!