Christmas Songs

Once again, I noticed an odd expression coming over my husband's face as we sat at the kitchen table, listening to Christmas songs. I've come to the conclusion that he has a different sort of perception of Christmas songs from most people. Not Christmas music overall, because he's perfectly okay with the instrumental versions, but he really thinks about the lyrics and what he sometimes perceives is...slightly off-kilter.

I raised my brows in question.

"Moe, Larry, and Curly," he said.

"I don't get it."

"Every time someone sings about the Three Wise Men, I keep hearing Three Wise Guys, and then--"

I tuned into the song on the radio, "We Three Kings." Hand plant to the forehead. "The Three Stooges."

"Yeah." He gave me an apologetic look. "It's not like the New Testament says what their names are."

"Traditionally, their names were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar."

"They had a lot of names. Maybe Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar are the early versions of Moe, Larry, and Curly." He had the expression he gets when he suggests something thoroughly ridiculous, yet hopeful that somehow it might be remotely, very remotely convincing.

"Uh, no," I said, doubtless dashing any hope I might be that gullible. Which, come to think about it, should have been dashed decades ago. Hmmm.

He shrugged. "Oh, well. Just a thought." He continued eating his dinner as the radio played another song, thankfully not "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire," or anything else that might be construed as an invasion of blonde-haired alien tots.

I wonder if this Christmas song fixation might be inheritable. The Alien Child has long disliked most Christmas songs, unless it's of medieval, renaissance, or classical origin. Why, I don't know, but he thinks they're all cheesy except for the old ones...

Dang it. I just realized--he has inherited it. The only ones the hubby has odd ideas about are the modern ones. Does the "Coventry Carol" evoke science fiction horror images for him? No, it does not. Neither do the "Patapan" or the "Jeanette, Isabella" songs. All medieval or renaissance in origin.

The only exception either of them will make regarding modern Christmas songs is if they're played in a jazz version. And it is probably not a coincidence that both of them play a musical instrument, emphasis on jazz and blues. Like father, like son.

I will content myself with calling them Christmas song Scrooges if the flights of fancy or eye-rolling begin to saturate my enjoyment of even the cheesiest of songs. Because I admit it, I love Christmas carols. I don't care how cheesy the carol is, I'm going to hum along or even sing it aloud. Especially in their presence. So there!