Just a small sampling of songs we sang at the top of our lungs!

Back in the day as they say, and by that I mean the early 80s, us Gen Xers had our own Christmas songs- and we freaking loved them.  For one, you could only hear them during the month of December.  No one, and I mean no one listened to or played Christmas music before December. And you could only hear them if you owned the albums or tapes or you heard them on the radio.  Oh, the good old days…..

Probably the number one Christmas song circa ‘80 and ‘81 was none other than The Boss’s version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  We listened to it. We loved it.  We couldn’t wait to hear it on the radio and we sang to it with all our hearts.  Loudly.

Another gem, and maybe we were more familiar with it because of our proximity to our beloved neighbors to the Great White North would be Bob and Doug MacKenzie and their version of The 12 Days of Christmas.   

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, A BEER! 

We loved drinking beer and we loved shouting out that line.  Cuz’ you know, we were so bad!  Lol! We also loved the thoroughly Canadian references like calling a hat a toque.  We thought all things Canadian were so very cool.  

The Kinks’ Father Christmas was another of our absolute favorites because like Canada, we loved all things British-  the Beatles effect I’m sure.  The Kinks were so fucking cool.  They emerged from the British Invasion.  They were dirtier than the Beatles.  You know- Lola and all.  It was very exciting to scream out 

Father Christmas, give us some money, don’t mess around  with those silly toys.  We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over. We want your bread  so don’t make us annoyed. Give all your toys to the little rich boys.  

Damn, it was so satisfying!

And then of course is THE Christmas song of all Christmas songs- and that would have to be Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses.

For those teens who thought they were somewhat cool- and I say that as someone who was not actually cool in 1981 or ‘82, but more of an insecure, awkward teen who was boy crazy and liked to party- so called New Wave music was THE shit.  And The Waitresses with lead singer Patty Donohue was the ultimate cool.  Along with fellow Ohi-an Chrissy Hynde, we loved New Wave female singers.

The title is a pun, and an allusion to the emerging rap scene and Kurtis Blows’s 1979 song Christmas Rapping. It was written by Chris Butler as a response to ZE record’s request that their talent all come up with a Christmas themed song for a compilation album. It was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in NYC and despite its upbeat energy is really about how holiday time is nothing but a big hassle.

I think the song appeals to us Gen Xers, at least to this Gen Xer, because it has that sassy, cynical skepticism about literally everything.  We looked at the world with distrust, eyed adults warily.  Another thing I love about it is the video.  For some reason Gen X has been associated with big hair, acid washed jeans, oversized sweaters and all things poofy.  Early Gen X style was actually more spare.  Lots of black and white and red.  Black tights, mini skirts, flats or penny loafers- a mix between the Preppy Handbook Salvation Army finds and New Wave sensibilities.  

Listening to this song brings back many happy memories, one of which is that I was lucky to see The Waitresses perform this song and another of my absolute favorites I Know What Boys Like at King Concert Hall on the Fredonia State campus when I was junior in high school.  What a fucking blast.  I’d go back in a heartbeat.

If you want to hop into a Gen X  time machine I recommend listening to these songs.  Hope Christmas magic brings your 2025 tale to a very happy ending!