Courtney Barnett picks her favourite Christmas song
The world could be in utter turmoil, and Christmas would still provide a much-needed dose of comfort and stability. Perhaps that’s why we remain so attached to its associated traditions: those unchanging Christmas Day menus, the festive films we rewatch every year, and, of course, the music. When it comes to Christmas songs, the old ones really are the best. Sadly, the same cannot be said of satsumas. Here we join Courtney Barnett as she discusses her favourite festive satsuma. Sorry, I mean single – favourite festive single.
Being Australian, Barnett’s Christmases are likely rather different from those experienced by those of us living north of the equator. For those below it, December 25th marks the height of summer, meaning the festive period is less “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and more steaks smouldering on an open barbecue. That being said, the people of Australia and New Zealand have embraced many of the traditions that have historically defined British and American Christmases – even carols by candlelight.
A little while ago, Vulture asked Barnett to name her favourite Christmas song of all time. Selecting Paul McCartney’s brilliant ‘Wonderful Christmastime’, she said: “I got obsessed with this song last December. I played it every day (followed by McCartney II). It was my first Christmas ever outside of Australia, and I spent it in the desert in Joshua Tree. Every morning I woke up early to check if it was snowing”.
Adding: “Most days, the birdbath was just frozen, plus some light frost on the ground, 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.”
Surprisingly, the 1979 track was recorded in the middle of summer while McCartney was making McCartney II. According to Paul, the song was written on a “boiling hot day in July” and began with that instantly recognisable delay-drenched riff, which was played on a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesiser. It marked Paul’s first Christmas composition since The Beatles stopped recording their annual festive messages for the Beatles Fan Club in the 1960s.
You can revisit the track below.
