"I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus"

The wonderful thing about music is it is literally not possible for one person, even during an entire lifetime, to find and enjoy all the good stuff that is out there. I've always liked to think of myself as a pretty sophisticated and open-minded consumer, but even in this day and age I'm continually surprised by the amount of new music that I discover each year. This year, and it's to my own discredit that I never found them until 2007, Arcade Fire and Rilo Kiley fit the bill.

It's the same with Christmas music. There is a veritable treasure trove of classic stuff just sitting in a bin somewhere waiting to be found, and thanks to the Internet, most of it is just a click away.

Take this song, for instance. Three days ago, I'd never heard it, and never heard of it. Now I can't stop playing the damn thing, and can't get the tune and the lyrics out of my mind. Of course, everyone has heard Brenda Lee's version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and it's a great song, but it gets heard so often that it begins to lose some of its luster. But this one is something else - Lee sounds as if she must have been about 8 when she recorded it, but the performance is absolutely convincing - and a hoot, to boot. This is one little girl who loves Santa, but is not that happy with the fact that he's forgotten some of the other good girls and boys. And by God, she's going to do something about it:

I'm gonna lasso Santa Claus
And i know just why because
I'm gonna pull, pull, pull, on his beard
Pull, pull, and see if it's real

I'm gonna tick, tick, tickle him on the tummy
Because he laughs so funny
He's so jolly and so fine
When he comes around at Christmas time

[OK...so far, so good...]

I'm gonna lasso Santa Claus
And the reason is because
I know a boy and girl he never goes see,
He NEVER brings 'em toys like he does to me!

I'm gonna pop, pop Santa Claus
With my water pistol gun (BANG! BANG!)
And then I'll take his bags of toys and run
And bring to all the kids who don't have none!

Now THAT, Santa, is one little good girl that you really don't want to mess around with.