Is it strange to feature a song from a Christmas album on the last day of February?
Yes, it is. Thanks for asking.
But in my defense, a) the song itself isn’t overtly Christmas-like, b) there’s another track on the same album called “Christmas in April,” c) it’s my blog so I can do whatever I like.
And hey, we shouldn’t allow the calendar to dictate our level of festivity, right?
If you feel like putting a stocking by your fireplace tonight, go right ahead. Or maybe you’d prefer to hide a bunch of Easter eggs tonight for your loved ones to find tomorrow morning? Go for it. Feel like counting down to midnight tonight before opening a cheap bottle of sparkling wine? Yes.
Everyone needs something to spice up the late-winter lull that follows the many cultural celebrations of December and January. So while we’re all aching for warmer weather and various fireworks-related holidays of spring and summer, let’s cook a turkey, throw on a holiday sweater, and listen to a bit of Andrew Bird.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. Whether Bird plays the violin by plucking or bowing, it makes me think of big fat snowflakes.
2. In the song’s final minute, he whistles along softly to the melody. It’s not very present in the mix, which makes it sound casual, even absent-minded, like Santa whistling to himself while stuffing stockings.
3. While most tracks on the Hark! album are traditional Christmas songs, this one was written by Bird’s friend and collaborator Alan Hampton. We love cover songs here at Beautiful Song of the Week, but I can’t classify this as a cover song because Hampton doesn’t appear to have released a version of it himself.
But as we’ve already established, gift-giving isn’t tied to a specific date on the calendar, so I’ll just have to drop an Alan Hampton song in your stocking next week.
Recommended listening activity:
Finally using a gift card you received a long time ago.