Oh, Oh, No
The holidays are here, but let’s face it—sometimes they’re not all merry and bright. While cheery carols might feel like too much, there’s a soundtrack for those quieter, bittersweet moments. If the usual holiday hits don’t quite hit home this year, these underrated Christmas tracks could be the solace you’re looking for.
Jack Antonoff in “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” Music Video via Bleachers. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Christmas time has come, but you might be one of those who don’t see everything as merry and bright as you’d like to. The loss of someone or something, the heaviness of family duties piling up, or just being unable to put yourself in that jolly and hopeful mood. Just two seconds of All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey might make you want to collapse, and not everyone will understand why. But luckily, you’re not alone and tunes out there to make you feel heard during this time.
Last Christmas will never get old, sure. But here are some other songs that you might not have heard of—and might want to add to your playlist.
“Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” by The Bleachers
This song, released this November, will give you the strength to block that number on your phone and spend thought-free holidays. Jack Antonoff, Bleachers’ leader and super music producer, recorded the track after performing it live for years because, as he puts it, “it can be hard to tell the story of someone you don't want around and still find a reason to tell it.” So here’s his Christmas present to you.
“Hard Candy Christmas” by Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton’s version of this track was released in 1983, but its origins are in the Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, written by Carol Hall in 1978. The musical was later adapted into a movie in 1982 starring Miss Parton herself. While the song in the play isn’t particularly tied to Christmas, it talks about hope for change in your life, even if you’re going through hell (like receiving hard candy for Christmas). It’s a slept-on song but should deserve a spot on your holiday playlist.
“Cindy Lou Who” by Sabrina Carpenter
Straight out of Sabrina Carpenter’s 2023 Christmas EP, Fruitcake, and recently featured in her Christmas special aired on Netflix, it’s a song about having to go through Christmas time while knowing that the one you once loved is now in love with someone else. A sad nod to the How the Grinch Stole Christmas character, it might be the comfort song you need to go through a nasty heartbreak.
“Christmas Song” by Phoebe Bridgers
One of the best Christmas traditions one could wait to celebrate each year is the yearly Christmas song cover by Phoebe Bridgers. Since 2017, she has celebrated by reimagining a sad and melancholic Christmas song with proceeds going to charity. “Christmas Song” is the second instalment published in 2018, and it’s a cover of a song written by Dan McCarthy. It also features an American pivotal figure in rock music and activism, Jackson Browne, and it talks about that unshakable feeling of loneliness during the holidays, even if you’re not alone and surrounded by others. Although a cover for this year still hasn’t arrived, “Christmas Song” deserves an honorable mention, and might be the song you need this Christmas.
