I’m no Scrooge, I just want everyone to be aware of that. Some of these ‘interpretations’, as I have come to name them, haven’t been full of ‘Christmas cheer’ as one might expect. To be honest, i LOVE Christmas songs, and that’s the main reason why I undertook this project – but – it can’t all be snowflakes and candy canes. Some of these songs can have very ominous and dark undertones that are forgotten about when coupled with a nice set of sleigh bells and a brass section. So, now that I’ve said that, here is my terribly depressing (yet somewhat uplifting?) interpretation of ‘have a holly jolly christmas’. Enjoy.
have a holly jolly christmas – burl ives
a man wakes up, dressed up head to toe in green and red. suspenders, elf hat, pointy shoes and all. he is ready for the season, and prefers to be as ‘authentic’ as possible. He jumps out of bed, brushes his teeth, and hits the town…all the while with a tune in his head, and a smile on his face.
as he walks down the street he greets each person who passes with a smile, nod, and a warm ‘hello’.
“hello”
“hi”
“how are ya?”
“how’s it goin?”
“happy holidays”
“hey”
“hiya”
“hi”
“hi”
“hi”
“hi!”
“hi!!”
“HI”
“HI!!!!!”
he moseys on down to carlson’s flower shop to pick up that holiday arrangement he’s ordered. every year it is tradition as he places this display above the door located in his foyer to greet his guests with the same amount of warmth as his smile. The clerk rings him up, $36.17 with tax, a little more expensive than he would like to pay, but he likes to spend his money within the community as he sees the benefit in maintaining the local economy.
he tips his hat as he walks out of the musty shop, the bell on the door ringing as he continues back towards his apartment. he crosses the busy street at the crosswalk in hopes of grabbing a small cup of white tea from ‘The Iconoclast’ coffee shop on the corner. you notice the smile on his face broadening as he recognizes an old flame sitting down with a james joyce novel. he always thought james joyce was a little too heady for his liking, but she always seemed to enjoy it. a swiftness in his step produces a slight glisten of sweat on his upper lip. before he could even wipe it away he’s stopped dead in his tracks. someone has joined her at the table with a warm passionate kiss. after their long embrace they stare deeply into each others eyes. the gaze is interrupted by a momentary glance in his direction, and then immediately absorbed back into the eyes of her lover.
he drops the foliage where he stands with his head into his hands. it can’t be told whether it was the sweat off his brow, or one solitary tear which rolled down his cheek and into the gutter. But he went home that day, alone, and went back to bed.
tomorrows a new day. christmas day. he can smile then.
