Tired of the same-old Christmas classics? This playlist of outside-the-box Christmas songs is filled with fresh aural holiday cheer. When it comes to holiday music, you can never go wrong with the tried-and-true classics. Even so, it's always good to get out of one's comfort zone. With that in mind, unwrap these 12 outside-the-box Christmas songs, spanning rock to rap and featuring everything from refreshing spins on the familiar to unexpected holiday thrills.
This firsthand account of spending the most joyous holiday locked up and separated from the one you love offers a different kind of longing than the average lonesome Christmas tune. In signature John Prine style, "Christmas In Prison" contains plenty of romantic wit "I dream of her always, even when I don't dream and comedic hyperbole "Her heart is as big as this whole goddamn jail" , with plenty of pining and hope to spare. For his take on this timeless Christmas carol, the "Cliffs Of Dover" guitarist intermingles acoustic-based lines, sublime clean guitar passages and Hendrix -y double-stops with his trademark creamy violin-like Strat lines.
The result is a sonic equivalent on par with the majesty of the Rockefeller Christmas tree. For more dazzling holiday guitar tomfoolery, look into the album it's featured on, 's Merry Axemas.
Who doesn't want a large semiaquatic mammal for the holidays? For thenyear-old child star Gayla Peevey, not only did she score with the catchy tune, she also got her wish. The novelty hit, written by John Rox, rocketed up the pop charts and led to a fundraising campaign to buy Peevey an actual hippo for Christmas. Children donated their dimes to the cause, and the Oklahoma City native got her hippo, named Mathilda, which she donated to the Oklahoma City Zoo.
In a contemplative mood this Christmas? Try getting into the holiday spirit by way of meditating on the true meaning of the season with this brash, uptempo Southern California crust punk tune.
