- Christmas Wrapping
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"Christmas Wrapping" Single by The Waitresses from the album A Christmas Record B-side "Christmas Fever" Released 1981 Format 7" Recorded 1981 Genre Christmas, new wave Label ZE Records Writer(s) Chris Butler The Waitresses chronology "I Know What Boys Like"
(1980)"Christmas Wrapping"
(1981)"I Know What Boys Like" (reissue)
(1982)"Christmas Wrapping" is a Christmas song written by Chris Butler and recorded in 1981 by The Waitresses, featuring vocals by Patty Donahue. It was first released in 1981 on the compilation album A Christmas Record on ZE Records. The group also included the track on their 1982 EP I Could Rule the World if I Could only Get the Parts. It has since been included on numerous holiday compilation albums, including Now That's What I Call Christmas!: The Signature Collection.
The song was written soon after the birth of rap music in that style, hence the word "wrapping" in the title.
Contents
Lyrics
The song is narrated from the point of view of a busy single woman who is adamant that she will try to sit out the exhausting Christmas period, and not participating in the traditional Christmas activities (except for making dinner).
She reveals that during the course of the year, she has attempted to meet up with a man she encountered in a ski shop the previous year. Despite the couple's attempts to meet, a succession of mishaps conspires to keep them apart.
Finally on Christmas Eve, the protagonist (after boasting that A&P provided her with "the world's smallest turkey"), in her haste to prepare dinner, realizes that she forgot to purchase cranberries. She runs to a local convenience store, and ends up running into the man. In a wild coincidence, he, too, was making dinner and also forgot to buy cranberries.
Popularity
The song has become perennially popular in the UK despite only reaching number 45 in the charts in 1982, has been included on a number of seasonal compilation albums, and receives airplay at Christmas to this day. Within the US, the song received heavy airplay on seminal new wave station KROQ-FM. The song also became a classic on the Canadian modern rock radio station CFNY-FM and is regularly played during the Christmas season.
Covers
The song was covered by the Spice Girls in 1998 as a B-side for their single "Goodbye". Many of the verse's lyrics were changed. In the Spice Girls version the "world's smallest turkey" was provided by Tesco, the forgotten ingredients were purchased from "the all night garage" and other modified lyrics referred to world tours, babies and "Christmas with my mates this year". Melanie C and Emma Bunton were the only two Spice Girls featured on vocals for the song. A pregnant Melanie B and Victoria Beckham were absent from the song. The group Save Ferris also recorded a version with different lyrics, taking on the perspective from a Jewish point of view. Kate Nash has also covered the song. Both the original version and a cover by The Donnas are on the soundtrack to Shrek The Halls. From the cast of Wicked, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Michelle Federer, and Carole Shelley recorded a version of the song for Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure Vol. 6. Nickelodeon actress and singer Miranda Cosgrove covered "Christmas Wrapping" for the soundtrack to Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh. It was released as a B-side to "About You Now" on December 5, 2008. It is also available on Cosgrove's website.[1] Comedian Doug Benson performs a version for the 2010 Comedy Death-Ray Christmas CD.[2]
The song is also featured on 2011's Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2, with the main vocals performed by Heather Morris.
References
- ^ '3:23 pm Feb 25th' (2008-12-23). "Miranda Cosgrove: Christmas Wrapping | The Official Miranda Cosgrove Site". Mirandacosgroveofficial.com. http://www.mirandacosgroveofficial.com/music/christmas-wrapping. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ^ "CDR Xmas CD". Earwolf.com. http://www.earwolf.com/store/cdr-xmas-cd.html.
External links
Miranda Cosgrove Discography · Awards and nominations Studio albums Sparks FlyExtended plays About You Now • High MaintenanceSoundtrack albums School of Rock • iCarlySingles Featured singles "All I Want for Christmas" • "Leave It All to Shine"Other songs "Christmas Wrapping" • "Raining Sunshine" • "High Maintenance"Tours Related articles Categories:- Christmas songs
- 1981 singles
- 1998 singles
- 2008 singles
- Miranda Cosgrove songs
- Spice Girls songs
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