The 10 Greatest Sad Christmas Songs, Nos. 5 and 4: James Brown, Simon & Garfunkel
5. “Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto,” James Brown
A soulful appeal that might be a little less sad if its command weren’t so urgent: Fill every stocking you see, and don’t forget any kid. A sharp electric guitar chord drives the song like a spur to the side of the reindeer.
4. “7 O’Clock News/Silent Night,” Simon & Garfunkel
Lenny Bruce dying of an overdose, Martin Luther King marching for fair housing, Richard Speck indicted for killing nine student nurses, and Richard Nixon saying opposition to the Vietnam war is the single greatest thing working against the U.S. — headlines read in classic 1960s newsman voice rise against Simon & Garfunkel’s gorgeous but fading harmonies, making the truth quietly inescapable: the sentiments of this holiday standard are bullshit.
Previous Top 10:
10. “Christmas Is for Mugs,” Graham Parker
9. “Daddy’s Drinkin’ Up our Christmas,” Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
8. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” John & Yoko
