Courtney Barnett’s favourite Christmas song: “I got obsessed”
Everyone has a different reason for their choice of favourite Christmas tune. It could be to do with a nostalgic childhood memory or the festive number one of a particularly significant year. If you’re lucky enough that your top artist has given it a go, then it could be that, or it could be attached to much newer traditions of more recent Christmases. Whatever the reason, we all have a story or two to tell when it comes to the music of the holiday season, and Courtney Barnett is just the same.
The Australian singer broke onto the scene in 2012 and has since released her own take on a festive hit in the form of ‘Boxing Day Blues’ in 2015, which gives her all the authority to wade in on the age-old debate of the best Christmas song. Never one to disappoint, her choice is a classic through the decades.
That would be the iconic ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ by Paul McCartney, released in 1980 but only uncovered by Barnett much more recently. She explained her love of the song in 2022, saying: “I got obsessed with this song last December. I played it every day – followed by McCartney II.”
The reason for her adoration of Macca’s festive effort was because of the new associations she was making with the season. As an Australian, the stereotype of wintry Decembers, snowmen, and trying to spread festive cheer despite darkness setting in at 3pm on the daily was a far cry from anything she had ever experienced at home. “It was my first Christmas ever outside of Australia and I spent it in the desert in Joshua Tree,” she said. “Every morning I woke up early to check if it was snowing.”
Snow and deserts don’t seem like the most common weather combination, but it is the Joshua Tree, and after all, anything can happen. The famed desolate Californian site must hold some magic enthral for musicians world over, with everyone from First Aid Kit to Gram Parsons – and, of course, most famously U2 – being attracted to the place for sonic inspiration. In Barnett’s case, though it may also have been a musical muse, the Joshua Tree made her Christmas dreams come true.
“Most days, the birdbath was just frozen, plus some light frost on the ground,” she admitted, “But one afternoon we looked out the window and it was snowing. It only lasted ten minutes, but it was so beautiful and the world stood still for a few seconds.”
It’s no wonder that ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ was kept on a loop after that. Maybe she thought it was the magic ingredient to bringing the snow, or maybe Macca’s megahit was just the perfect soundtrack to this new type of Christmas for her, but either way, it’s clear the song holds a special festive place in Barnett’s heart. She’s not alone – it’s one of the rare Christmas tunes post-1970s that has actually achieved classic status, adored by fans everywhere this time of year, who stick it on just when the mood is right and the spirit’s up…
