Holiday Carols with a New Mexico Twist

Another happy holiday re-blog. This one from December of last year.

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Since I’m still in that obnoxious happy Holiday mood, I’ve been listening to my own mix tape of fave Christmas tunes in my car to and from work.

I don’t play them much at home. Not sure The Good Man would go for piping all my insane Xmas cheer into the house.

Aaaaanyhow, this morning I was listening to the George Strait song, “Christmastime in Texas” and the line “it might look just like a summer day” which, of course, made me think of Christmas in New Mexico. I think there was snow on Christmas just once when I was growing up, and that was all melted off by noon.

Christmas in New Mexico was more like sixty-five degrees and shorts and a tshirt to play with my new toys outside.

I’ve always loved all the standard Christmas tunes, but hey, to a New Mexico kid, they don’t really apply.

So I decided to tinker with some of the classics to give them more of a New Mexico vibe.

Here just a few, feel free to add your own!
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“Up on a Housetop”

Up on a rooftop, stick stick stick, tar paper roof laid on too thick

“Walking in a Winter Wonderland”

Walking in a surprisingly summerlike wonderland

“Silent Night”

Silent night, holy HELL my neighbor’s yard decorations are bright

“White Christmas”

I’m dreaming of a red or green Christmas. Green please, with a fried egg on top. Pass the tamales. (whoops, lost the natural rhythm of the song there….thoughts of Christmas tamales will do that to me)

“Let it Snow”

Oh the weather outside is windy, and the weeds are very tumbly, and since we’ve no place to go, let it blow, let it blow, let it blow….my car off the highway.

“The Christmas Song”

Calf’s nuts roasting on an open fire, branding iron nipping at your flanks

(yeah, ok, so winter isn’t exactly branding season, but go with me here)

“Jingle Bells”

Paper bags, paper bags, burning in my yard.

“Frosty the Snowman”

Nobby the mud tires, on a very four wheel truck, with a four on the floor and a headache rack, and two headlights made out of halogen

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Ah, mud tires and a headache rack. Now that’s what Christmas means to me.





Photo from New Mexico Magazine.

About Author

Karen Fayeth

Comments

  • Sally Acosta

    Nina Karen it’s snowing like a mofo right now……I can only hope that by Christmas morning we’ll be in shorts riding bikes down by the bosque!

    Cheers!

    Ferg

  • sclaus

    Ha ha, made me laugh (“And two lights made out of hallogen” indeed!) Well, I’ve had a couple white Christmases in my day and believe me, they were always prettier and more fun in the movies/on tv! Give me a warm, green, sunny Christmas any day, heh heh

    • Karen Fayeth

      Mistah Claus — Yes, I think in the end, a sunny Christmas is still the best. I recall one Xmas I went to the beach in Half Moon Bay, it was such a glorious sunny day.

      The next day, it started raining hard and didn’t stop until May. I will never forget that glorious Xmas day, though.

  • Anji

    It’s not hot here, but we never have snow at Christmas. Some of your songs could apply to us.

    Where was your picture taken?

    • Karen Fayeth

      Hi Anji – That is the plaza in Albuquerque’s Old Town. It’s so lovely at the holidays.

      It’s a photo from New Mexico Magazine. Thanks for the reminder, I need to add a photo credit!!

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