Posted by Sari
Yeah, it was just a slight fever because of the covid jab, no biggie. So my great Christmas song rant goes online today instead of yesterday. But first. Amalias jordgubbe och lime limonad is excellent. Enough bubbles (I love highly carbonated drinks), nice taste of strawberry followed by a strong hit of lime. Another winner.
So, it is an internet meme and a cliché of the worst order that Finnish Christmas songs are sorry dirges. Sparrows almost starve to death, song birds are caged, children are forgotten to freeze in the snow. The worst offenders IMO are Loiri’s “Sydämeeni joulun teet” which is a subject of Finnish version of Whammagedon, and Suvi Teräsniska’s “Hei Mummo” which is just… bad. So bad. There should be a law.
But it isn’t just these popular Christmas songs that are basically sad dirges, it is about all of them. Even when the lyrics aren’t about starvation and death, the melody is sad tune in minor key. I have faithfully listened to Christmas radio every morning while driving, and today I made a totally scientific test: during the hour I was in the car, there came one song that was not a miserable sad thing sung by a female soloist: Kulkuset. Which of course is American song – Jingle Bells.
Try to find me a Finnish Feliz Navidad, or Jingle Bell Rock, or even Good King Wenceslas. I have tried to think hard and thus far I have Sinivuorten yö, Tonttuparaati and Joulupukki, joulupukki. All other children’s upbeat classics from Nisse-polkka to Porsaita äidin seem to be Swedish in origin. Maybe Rajaton has some? Some “sad” Christmas songs are great but then they need to go big: be sung by a metal band or a male choir. Think Maa on niin kaunis. (Danish-German) or Nebo I Zemlja (Russian).
I admit being a bit contradictory, because IMHO the best Christmas song ever is not that upbeat either but it goes big.
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