All Things Christmas ‘Trees, Lights, & Presents’ #Songs
Good morning, Kittens and Dawgs! How did it get to be December so soon? It seems like yesterday we’re celebrating this most wonderful time of the year, doesn’t it? Before I get on with things, I’d like to suggest that y’all take a peek at my December 1st BoTB and cast your vote for your favorite artist. It’s really simple, just listen and let me know who you like best. The more the merrier!! How was y’alls weekend? Is it beginning to look like Christmas at your place yet?
This month’s theme is “all things Christmas“. I like creating a theme within a theme. My first playlist for the Christmas season comprises songs featuring trees, lights, and presents.
There’s probably not a person out there that doesn’t know Brenda Lee is the first to record (1958), Rockin Around the Christmas Tree. However, did you know her song been covered nearly 200 times since it’s debut? When I stumbled across my favorite 70s band, Chicago’s performing this classic I immediately added to my playlist. Under the Christmas Lights is from Gwen Stefani You Make It Feel Like Christmas album released last year. I gave it a special feature on my blog and asked DH to buy it for me, which he did. The Charlie Brown Christmas special is a sweet movie originally airing in 1965 and one filled with childhood memories. Stevie Wonder’s One Little Christmas Tree is from his album, Someday at Christmas releasing two years after the children’s animation premiered. Kacey Musgraves is a young country mewsic star whose star title Ribbons and Bows snagged my attention to using in my song lineup that she released on her 2016 A Very Kacey Christmas album but another song from her album that works beautifully with my theme is Present without a Bow. The 90s mentally I dropped out of the mewsic scene rarely catching what’s new. Hey, I was a busy mom with three young kids, need I say more? Anywho, 98 Degrees is one of those groups. This American Boy band released The Gift during the Christmas season 1999 as a single. It did well, peaking #40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and better still at #14 on Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. Christmas has grown rather secular. Its true meaning is lost in an overly commercialized world. I reckon I’m not helping anything with my most of my song selections. Jesus is the REAL reason for the season and my list wouldn’t be complete without rounding things off with the beautiful message presented by Matt Redman in These Christmas Lights 2016 album with the same name, YT playlist. Read the lyrics below to fill the wonder of the season through his words.
These Christmas Lights
by Matt Redman
[Verse 1]
All the lights, shining brightly
As the choir of, angels sing
Singing praise, now in the highest
At the birth of, Christ the King
Yes all the lights, are shining brightly
As the choir of, angels sing
Singing praise, now in the highest
At the birth of, Christ the King
[Chorus]
Open my eyes; O heart believe
The wonder of, that Christmas night
Be born in me
[Verse 2]
Sing again, the sacred song of
How that star lit, up the sky
And how this world, lost in the darkness
Felt the hope of, Heaven’s light
[Chorus]
Open my eyes; O heart believe
The wonder of, that Christmas night
Be born in me
Open my eyes; O heart believe
The wonder of, that Christmas night
Be born in me
[Bridge]
All the lights are, shining brightly
At the glory, of the King
All the lights are, shining brightly
For the glory, of Your Name
All the lights are, shining brightly
At the glory, of the King
All the lights are, shining brightly
For the glory, of Your Name
[Interlude]
[Verse 3]
We hold a flame, in our hearts now
Say a prayer that, in this world
All these lights, these Christmas lights will
Shine for You, and You alone
You alone …
[Bridge]
All the lights are, shining brightly
At the glory, of the King
All the lights are, shining brightly
For the glory, of Your Name
All the lights are, shining brightly
At the glory, of the King
All the lights are, shining brightly
For the glory, of Your Name
[Outro]
Lord all the lights are, shining brightly
For the glory; of Your Name
Oh let them shine, let them shine
For the glory of Your Name …
Alrighty, how about a little more fun. Why not take this quiz to see how well you know about Christmas songs mentioning trees? Not wanting to sound like I’m bragging…okay, okay I am but I scored an A+! 🙂
You’re invited to join my fellow co-hosts: XmasDolly (4M Brain Child), Stacy, Alana, & Colette on the dance floor (ONLY link mewsic posts) below. We’re not snobs if you have mewsic to share, then we’re ready to boogie with you!
[tweetthis]I’m boogieing to “all things Christmas” with the #MondaysMusicMovesMe gang. Come hit the dance floor with me! @xmasdolly [/tweetthis]
DH is on vacation for the next 10-days but I’ll do my best to boogie with you in a timely fashion and if not I will eventually do it. 😉 Keep those tunes playing, your body swaying, and I’ll be boogieing over to see you soon.
X💋X💋, Cathy
15 Comments
Stacy Uncorked
Your selections only greatly enhanced the Christmas tunes that have been bouncing around in my head – thank you for the extra festive fun! 🙂 Hope you had a great week, Cathy! 🙂
JamericanSpice (@Jamericanspice)
I always enjoy Matt Redman! I want a Christmas album. I just listen to music willy nilly 🙂
Cathy Kennedy
Colette,
Do you buy digital mewsic from iTunes or Amazon?
Patrick Weseman
Very beautiful song. Thanks for sharing it.
15andmeowing
Adorable kitten photo. Great music choices and excellent spark. Thanks for hosting. Hope you have a great week!
Brian Frum
The Christmas tunes have been playing here, we all really enjoy them lots!
Comedy Plus
What a purrfect Awww Monday. I’ll take that kitty.
Love the video. I’ve not heard this group doing this before. Cool.
Have a fabulous day, Cathy. Love you. ♥
messymimi's meanderings
Beautiful music, some of which i haven’t heard in a while (if at all). Happy Monday!
Arlee Bird
I got a B+ on the quiz having missed 2 answers. That’s better than I thought I’d get.
I put a wreath on the door yesterday but that’s about the extent of Christmas festiveness in our house. Somebody did a nice job of decorating the sanctuary at our church so that’s where I’m getting any feelings of the Season. Appropriate I think.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Jacqui Murray
I love Christmas music. Very nice.
-Eugenia
Wow, what a fun and cheery post for a Monday morning. Happy Monday and love mewsic!
Cathy Kennedy
Eugenia,
Christmas mewsic is the purrfect measure for a cheery Monday!
-Eugenia
🎄
Thomas Anderson
Hi, Cathy!
Your Christmas themed play list warmed my innards. It’s MMMM MMMM good. (See what I did there with Monday Mewsic Moves Me? 🙂 It’s been a long time since I have heard the Chicago band rock to that extent. I thoroughly enjoyed their zesty rendition of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” a song from their 2011 album Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three Also new to my ears is the recent release by Gwen Stefani, the sexy secular song “Under the Christmas Lights.” Gwen’s vocal is like buttah and the brassy backing band is tunetastic!
The video for Stevie Wonder’s “One Little Christmas Tree” is BLOCKED on copyright grounds and did not play,but I went to YouTube and found it. It’s a pretty and inspiring holiday song! “One little Christmas tree can light up the world, so those who are lost may find their way.”.
Texan Kacey Musgraves is a delight and her song “Ribbons and Bows” has a sax instrumental break in the middle reminiscent of old time rock ‘n’ roll. I remember the boy group 98 Degrees emerging in the late 90s to take their place among hit making teen groups that included Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. I don’t remember “The Gift” but It was a pleasure to hear and see this live performance of the song. Matt Redman switches us from the secular side of the holiday and puts Christ in Christmas with his religious song “These Christmas Lights,” a great way to end the set.
I took the quiz about Christmas songs that mention trees. I got two wrong and therefore only got a B+. You beat me! 🙂
This was fun, Cathy. Thank you very much and have a wonderful week, dear friend!
Cathy Kennedy
Tom,
The Christmas song quiz is a bit harder than I thought it would be but somehow I managed to do well. Getting a B+ is a good job. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know about Stevie Wonder’s song being blocked. I shall fix that it. As always, it’s great having you to join me on the dance floor. I’m sorry for the slow response. Have a joyful week, my friend!