First of all, I am pleased that I managed to write this post earlier last week and have it prepared, as I think I would have struggled this weekend to write about songs I love and hate after the events of Friday. But, as it was pre-written and I am one of the people who suggested this list, I would be remiss if I didn’t post it today. I hope that we can all find something positive in our Listicles link-up today, be it a diversion, an unexpected connection, a laugh, or a triggered memory.

Here is my post, composed last Thursday:

So I am particularly excited about today’s Monday Listicles! Along with Rachee and Mrs. RKFJ, we created a hybrid theme: Mine was songs you love, hate, or love/hate, and theirs was holiday songs, so here you go! Big thanks to Stasha for picking me! I am going to mix up my list with some holiday songs and some regular songs…a combination of tunes I love, hate, and love to hate. Enjoy!

1. Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney. I cannot decide if I love this song or hate it. Every year I feel excited the first time I hear it on the radio, and then I realize that it is actually kind of annoying. Huh.

2. Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio. Go ahead, take a wild guess how I feel about this song- you may be surprised! I am not a big fan of rap, and though I sometimes listen to hip hop when I am exercising (you know, three times a year) it is not my genre of choice. That being said, I adore this song. Yup, that’s right. Can’t get enough of it.

3. River by Joni Mitchell. One of the saddest, sweetest Christmas songs of all time. And one of my favorites to sing and play on the piano, though I think it depresses the good husband.

4. Hello by Lionel Richie, not the new trendy pop song my daughter loves. I DETEST this song. I pretty much hate all of his music- my apologies to those die hard Lionel fans reading this. I cannot stand to listen to even five seconds of this song.

5. O Holy Night OK, this is one of my favorite holiday songs- so mysterious and beautiful. When I was seventeen, I got to  perform this one at our church’s Christmas Eve service, which was one of my favorite events of the year. It was so magical and peaceful, and someone always performed O Holy Night while these liturgical dancers danced in the dark with candles. After I was done singing, I sat down and started crying, not because it sucked, but because it was just such a powerful, moving experience. Love this song.

6. Lady in Red by some guy I can’t remember. Does it really matter? You all know which one I mean. I love/hate this song. Of course I loved it when they played it at my prom and I was wearing a red satin dress, duh! But some of my earliest memories are of taking swim lessons at the Y growing up, and we always arrived early for class (because as I may have mentioned, my mom was not the bumbling jackass parent that I am and we never seemed to be running late) and had to sit in the bleachers and watch the old ladies do water aerobics before our class. Always to this song. Shudder.

7.Santa Baby I love and hate this song, depending on who sings it. The classic, performed by the incomparable Eartha Kitt is lovely- she sounds sultry and charming. When Madonna performs it, she sounds like an idiotic floozy. Just one woman’s opinion, of course.

8.The theme song of Mash I cannot bear to listen to even one second of the opening strains of this song, and I can’t exactly tell you why. Perhaps it is because it is evocative of the childhood experience of having been put to bed for the night and listening to the muffled sounds of my parents watching this TV show in the other room. Whatever the reason, it makes me want to claw my skin off.

9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Love, love, love this song. But pretty much only the Judy Garland version, which is strangely sad, beautiful, and haunting. The lyrics are just slightly different, and subtly melancholy, but her voice is so rich I can’t stand it. Listen to it. Love it.

10. Auld Lang Syne This is another one that I adore singing around the piano, and it kind of makes me want to cry when I hear it. Some people may say that it’s overrated, but I say it’s underrated. What other song is so laden with hope for the future, sadness over  past regrets, and universal human connection? Go ahead, tell me- I’m waiting! Sigh- love it.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my list, and Happy Holidays!

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