SOUNDTRACK: PEARL JAM-“Santa God” (1993).
On December 2, Pearl Jam announced that their fan club holiday singles will be released to streaming services. Their first holiday single was released back in 1991. It was “Let Me Sleep (Christmas Time).” They are rolling out the songs one at a time under the banner 12 Days of Pearl Jam.
These releases are coming out as a daily surprise.
The song opens with a quiet guitar melody and Eddie’s droning style of vocal until the bass comes in and the song starts really moving.
It’s a flashback to childhood
Now and then I remember when
Us Adults were little Kids
And our only worry was
What we get from Santa Claus
There’s a little synth melody in between verses as the song seems to grow more positive. The chorus is simple and reminds me in style of some of the later Nirvana songs (with the backing vocals especially).
It seems like it’s a sarcastic song, but indeed, it’s not
How I learned from right and wrong
Had to be good for Santa Claus
He made me, stop misbehaving
And once a year if I did my job
I’d be given my favorite toys
So simple, the principles
It’s a catchy enough song, but probably won’t run up the holiday music charts anytime soon.
[READ: December 7, 2019] “An Errand in the Country”
This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar. This is my fourth time reading the Calendar. I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable. Here’s what they say this year
The Short Story Advent Calendar is back! And to celebrate its fifth anniversary, we’ve decided to make the festivities even more festive, with five different coloured editions to help you ring in the holiday season.
No matter which colour you choose, the insides are the same: it’s another collection of expertly curated, individually bound short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.
(This is a collection of literary, non-religious short stories for adults. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.)
As always, each story is a surprise, so you won’t know what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Once you’ve read that day’s story, check back here to read an exclusive interview with the author.
Want a copy? Order one here.
I’m pairing music this year with some Christmas songs that I have come across this year.
This is a short short story. It concern a Russian man who has been living in the United States for most of his life. Gregory has been a successful businessman in New York City. He was exacting and always on time. Actually, he’s rather a a jerk.
He returned to Moscow infrequently, and when he did, his visits were brief. He wanted to stay at the Ritz but his mother was always upset with him if he didn’t stay with her. So he agreed to stay in her run down place, where he knew he would not be able to get the smell of her apartment out of his clothes. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 