Americans love lists.

We love to rank things.

Good things.

Bad things.

And then we love to debate the rankings on the list.

I'm generally a pretty positive guy so I don't like to call something the "worst ever" but what the heck. I'll put it out there and you can throw in your two cents.

I was listening to several Christmas songs this past week (actually, for the past several weeks) and I figured the worst Christmas song ever has to be George Michael's "Last Christmas." Why? Look at the lyrics. I've cut and pasted them here:

Last christmas
Chorus:
Last christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special

Chorus:

Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance
But you still catch my eye
Tell me baby
Do you recognize me?
Well
Its been a year
It doesnt surprise me
Happy christmas
I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying I love you
I meant it
Now I know what a fool Ive been
But if you kissed me now
I know youd fool me again

Chorus

A crowded room
Friends with tired eyes
I'm hiding from you
And your soul of ice
My God I thought you were
Someone to rely on
Me?
I guess I was a shoulder to cry on

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man under cover but you tore me apart
Now Ive found a real love youll never fool me again

Chorus x2

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man under cover buy you tore him apart
Maybe next year I'll give it to someone
I'll give it to someone special.

What bothers me is I think the word "Christmas" is in there only so it can be considered a "Christmas song." If you substituted the word "Summer" for Christmas it wouldn't really change anything. Maybe I'm being too cynical here but I'll bet the thinking behind this song was this--- If we release this song without the word "Christmas" in it, then it plays on the pop charts for a few weeks, we collect some royalties and it's over. BUT....if we throw the word Christmas in there it becomes a "Christmas song" and every year it's brought out and played over and over and over and over again....and this happens year after year after year after year after year....and we collect royalties year after year after year.....

But, like I said, maybe I'm being too cynical.

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