As I’ve mentioned a few times over the years, I’m the neighborhood Griswold, and every holiday season I put together a music and lights display at our home using equipment from Lightorama. We don’t have a huge front yard, so it’s always a challenge to vary the display and make it fresh each time. Luckily, my wonderful wife embraces the process and paints new stand-up signs each year as well. This time, we’re celebrating essential workers as Disney characters.
This year, I also got a head start. We decided that the “holiday season” should start at Indigenous Peoples’ Day and that we should have our lights up in advance of Divali. With this much added time, I’ve been able to produce the most extensive musical sequence list yet. Below, you’ll find the listing of over 30 songs I’ve included this year, each with its own light show. And this year, I finally got around to producing a special sequence that many of us musically-inclined geeks will enjoy: “A Christmas Carol” by Tom Lehrer. Please enjoy (and excuse the hand-held video), and feel free to suggest any new songs I should plan on for next year!
“Also Sprach Zarathustra” – Orchestra Unknown
“Universal Fanfare” – The Minions
“Christmas in Hollis” – Run DMC
“Holly Jolly Christmas: – Burl Ives
“Royals” – Postmodern Jukebox w/ Puddles Pity Party
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – Darlene Love
“Christmas Eve/Sarajevo” – TSO
“Don’t Stop Believin'” – Journey
“Christmas Time Is Here” – Vince Guaraldi Trio
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” – Bruce Springsteen
“Oh Holy Night” – TSO
“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” – Thurl Ravenscroft
“Son of Flynn” – Daft Punk
“Miracle on 34th Street” – Bruce Broughton
“What Christmas Means” – Stevie Wonder
“Christmas Canon Rock” – TSO
“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” – John and Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X
“Queen of the Winter Night” – TSO
“A Christmas Carol” – Tom Lehrer
“Amazing Grace (Techno Mix)” – D.J. Bobo
“Deck the Halls” – Mannheim Steamroller
“Zat You, Santa Claus?” – Louis Armstrong
“The Very First Christmas” – SpongeBob Squarepants
“Mr. Roboto” – Styx
“Santa Baby” – Eartha Kitt
“Wonderful Christmastime” – Paul McCartney
“Linus and Lucy” – Vince Guaraldi Trio
“Jingle Bells” – Brian Setzer Orchestra
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” – Olivia Olson (Love Actually Version)
“Dancing Queen” – ABBA
“Christmas Vacation” – Mavis Staples
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” – IZ
