Sometimes You Have to Work on Pagan Holidays

   In the 14 years that I've worked a job that requires 24-7 coverage I've had Christmas off 4 times. Although my vocation is not as vital as a movie theater attendant, I can relate to the Harvey Danger circumstance.

Harvey Danger -Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)

    In 1984 famine in Ethiopia inspired Boomtown Rat Bob Geldof to compose a catchy, sappy Christmas song and gather a Who's Who of mostly British musicians to record it, with proceeds being used to relieve the human disaster.  

  Although the song hit #1 on charts around the world not all reviews were positive. It seems the presence and contributions of Status Quo and the modfather Paul Weller could not overcome the stylings of Boy George, Duran Duran, Bananarama and U2.  British music magazine NME at the time wrote "Millions of dead musicians write and perform rotten record for all the right reasons." 

  Full disclosure - I kinda like the song, especially the rough draft of the lyrics before it was sanitized to satisfy the record company execs . Here is Brian Jonedtown Massacre alum Brian Glaze performing the song with the original lyrics. 

 Brian Glaze -Do They Know It's Christmas

Notable lines reinstated are......

"At Christmas time we draw the blinds and let in shade"

"And tonight we'll build a snowman on the planetary dunes
But Christ thank god it's him instead of you"

"Where no one ever goes to see the virgin without clothes"

"I feel the world
Yeah help me girl
My fingers curl
Yeah, fuck the world"




In 1977 the Kinks wrote a carole about the impracticality of toys.

The Kinks - Father Christmas