Music and Cats

This morning, as my mother and I were starting to cook Christmas dinner, my father decided that it was time to put on some Christmas music. My parents’ musical tastes tend heavily toward the classical, and for a while the music was all violins and sopranos, and shepherds keeping their sheep.

And suddenly, there was… no, not a multitude of the heavenly host, but an electric guitar, and Ray Davies singing (some would say yelling):

When I was small I believed in Santa Claus,
Though I knew it was my Dad.
And I would hang up my stocking at Christmas
Open my presents and I’d be glad.

But the last time I played father Christmas,
I stood outside a department store.
A gang of kids came over and mugged me.
And knocked my reindeer to the floor.

They said: Father Christmas, give us some money
Don’t mess around with those silly toys.
Well beat you up if you don’t hand it over,
We want your bread so don’t make us annoyed.
Give all the toys to the little rich boys.

How did the Kinks get into my parents’ collection of Christmas music? Last year, as part of our family’s move toward homemade Christmas presents, Paul and I gave my folks a copy of The Many Moods of Santa Claus, a mix of Santa songs that I’d put together the previous year; this morning, Dad tossed it into the CD player with the more traditional Christmas recordings. After Father Christmas came to an end, the symphony of glorias resumed.

I has just poured chopped onions into a pool of shimmering oil when Ringo Starr interrupted the angelic voices, singing one of my favorite “Dear Santa” letters ever. I stood at the stove, swaying with the music, stirring the sizzling onions, singing along. Oh yes, and crying. I won’t even pretend that the onions were responsible. This song gets me every time.

Dear Santa, I know it’s Christmas time again,
How I love to sing the songs.
And ev’ryone becomes a friend
When they start to sing along.

Dear Santa, I don’t need a brand new toy,
The ones I have are working fine.
So give my toy to another girl or boy,
I hope you’ll get it there on time.

Dear Santa, we need you here,
Just give us one present for a happy new year.
Merry Christmas, let the sleigh bells ring,
Dear Santa, bring peace and love, that would be ev’rything.

Dear Santa, well, I’ve heard it all before
From jingle bells to no more wars.
But now it’s time to change people’s minds
I know you’ll get it there on time.

Dear Santa, we need you here,
Just give us one present for a happy new year.
Merry Christmas, let the sleigh bells ring,
Dear Santa, bring peace and love, that would be ev’rything.

And now it’s time to change our minds,
I hope you’ll get it there on time.

Dear Santa, we need you here,
Just give us one present for a happy new year.
Merry Christmas, let the sleigh bells ring,
Dear Santa, bring peace and love, that would be ev’rything.

Dear Santa, we need you here,
Just bring us one present for a happy new year.
Dear Santa, merry Christmas,
Dear Santa, have a happy new year.

Dear Santa, dear Santa, merry Christmas,
Bring us peace and love, bring us peace and love.

On this Christmas evening, whether or not you celebrate, I hope that all your toys are working fine, and that your home is filled with peace and love. If Santa could only bring peace and love to the the whole world, well, that would be everything, wouldn’t it?

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