You Better Watch Out

It's Christmas again and everyone is cheerful and full of warm, fuzzy feelings. A sweet Christmas song is blaring through the speaker, you sing along blinded by the cheerful demeanor of the melody until you realize the words escaping your mouth may be deceptive in their tune.

As a kid, singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, brought you anticipation. As an adult whose reared a kid, you know this song is a warning!

Oh, He's Watching!

I'm not sure if Coots and Gillespie had a run in with their kids before writing this Christmas song for Eddie Cantor's Radio show in 1934 but life experience is usually fodder for musical genius. It was an instant hit. I suspect parents sighed in relation to the verbal threats and the kids dug the tune and it made everyone happy. Ahh, music, bringing people together since the beginning of time.

So next time your kid is acting out and you need a little relief, just grit your teeth, grin and bare it and remember the lyrics and sing them with gusto, you'll feel better. Your kid will get the message and back down the naughty meter and all will be well with your souls. At least you didn't have to lower the bar and tell them about Krampus to get them to behave.

I have a few more Christmas songs in the line-up that make you go HMMM! but I'll pick on those another year.

P.S. You will be proud of this Grinch. My Zumba instructor taught the class 2 new Christmas song dances today. One of which was a re-mix of, you guessed it, The Drummer Boy. I beat pretend drums for the squat move as I laughed inside. My heart did not grow any bigger after performing that feat but I did make it through my Christmas song 'bete noire' with grace.

I do have my Christmas Holiday FAVORITES (that make my heart grow)... I'll write about them too. Promise!