According to Hofmann: All I ‘Once’ for Christmas
Because all my news about Texas comes from Australian media, “The West Australian” shared a story about a bar in Texas that had posted a sign on their jukebox that reads:
“MARIAH CAREY’S ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS WILL BE SKIPPED IF PLAYED BEFORE DEC. 1. AFTER DEC 1 THE SONG IS ONLY ALLOWED ONE TIME A NIGHT”
The words were all in capital letters because everything is big in Texas, according to the Aussies.
Anyway, if you’re living under a rock or constantly go around with your fingers plugged into your ears while yelling “Fa-la-la-la-la-laaa-la-la-la-la,” you are probably unaware that the 1994 song “All I Want for Christmas” gained something of Christmas-classic status last year with the most single-day streams on Spotify at 17.223 million streams.
Even before that, the song was well-placed in the rotation of endless Christmas music that some radio stations start playing in, oh, mid-October. They take a break on Oct. 31. to play “Thriller” and “The Monster Mash” and then go right back to Christmas music.
Now, itĢƵ predictable that CareyĢƵ fans are upset by the barĢƵ notice.
I, on the other hand, can totally sympathize with the barĢƵ decision, and itĢƵ not because they promised me a free bottle of Lone Star Beer if I write a positive take on the issue.
First, I think itĢƵ a good idea to say that I don’t hate the song at all. The song is fine. ItĢƵ not my favorite must-hear Christmas song like “SnoopyĢƵ First Christmas” or the Twisted Sister cover of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” but itĢƵ also not dated, annoying and preachy like “Do They Know itĢƵ Christmas” and “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”
Actually, I think most Christmas songs are completely fine. The problem lies in the repetitiveness of the songs, especially when you listen to the radio.
Like I previously mentioned, many locations have that one radio station that plays nothing but Christmas songs 24/7, but when you realize there are way more, say, classic rock songs than Christmas songs, you tend to hear the same song a few times — sometimes in a row! If a song has been covered multiple times, chances are you hear a different version of the same song in the span of an hour — sometimes in a row!
For example, I like the song “Jingle Bell Rock” the first seven times I hear it in a day. After that, it starts to grate on my soul until I loathe both jingle bells and rocks.
The song was first released in 1957 and has been covered nearly 300 times with nine covers this year alone because every singer has to release a Christmas album. Neil Diamond is Jewish and has five Christmas albums, two of which feature “Jingle Bell Rock.”
If Neil Diamond weren’t Neil Diamond, I’d tell Neil Diamond a thing or two.
Anyway, I believe the Texas bar was totally justified in the jukebox notice as the barĢƵ employees and regular customers may actually lose the holiday spirit if that or any song is played several times over an hour.
I think the barĢƵ only mistake was singling out Mariah CareyĢƵ song. They should have put that every song can only be played once a night and never in a row.
But, until that happens, if you’re ever in a Texas bar and find that “All I Want for Christmas” has been played and is unavailable, rest assured thereĢƵ likely still 198 versions of “Jingle Bell Rock” remaining.
According to Hofmann is written by staff reporter Mark Hofmann of Rostraver Township. His books, “Good Mourning! A Guide to Biting the Big One … and Dying, Too” and “Stupid Brain,” are available on Amazon.com.