Bittersweet Christmas songs

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Reading the Pogues Fairytale of New York thread on AIBU, got me thinking about Christmas songs that aren't saccharine horribleness!

Low - Just like Christmas
Pogues - Fairytale
Mike Doughty - I hear the bells

What others?

A winters tale, Always loved that one!

Wham - Last Christmas of course!

Christmas wrapping - The Waitresses

river by joni mitchell

Christmas Lights by Coldplay

Greg Lake - I believe in father Christmas

I didn't think of Last Christmas but it is sad!

And I love River

White Wine in the Sun - Tim Minchin

Wonderous Stories by Yes

Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie.

Sadly seems to get more relevant every year.

The darkness don't let the bells end

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

The Darkness is awesome.

My plan is to have a maudlin Xmas selection for cooking on Xmas day. With wine.

Mud - Lonely this Christmas.
All I want for Christmas - Marian Carey.
Last Christmas - Wham.

Tim Minchin's Drinking white wine in the sun makes me cry every time but so much more so now my boys are growing up.

Mariah,not Marian! Ffs autocorrect!

Mine is Feed the World. The original one.
It's actually my favourite Christmas song ever. I think I love it because of nostalgia. But the reality is the song should have stayed in the 80s as it was a very different time then. Watching the video of mainly white men singing so earnestly about the poor people of Africa not having any snow - Atlas Mountains anyone? And the bitter sting of tears being the only water that flows their way. When I really listen to the words I cringe. A whole continent being patronised by "white saviours!" That being said a huge amount of money was raised that made an amazing difference. It was a shame that Geldof decided to release the song again. And again. And again!

Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

But Jonah Lewie trumps 'em all. It was in the charts the first year my dad had to work at Christmas (security guard and I was about 7 or 8), and it still makes feel desolate.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Time. It's all about not being with the people you love at Christmas, things not being perfect but enjoying here and now & looking forward to a better time. Brings a tear to the eye every time.

Not bittersweet, but I vividly remember Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer being on the radio when I was little.

For maudlin, I thought of Blue Christmas - Elvis

I think Donner and Blitzen by Rob Halford from Judas Priest qualifies as not saccharine.

The power of love - Frankie goes to Hollywood.
Yes, it’s a Christmas song. Don’t listen to anyone who says it isn’t.

Please Come Home For Christmas