Here’s a list of hugely successful holiday songs. Every one has something offer to today’s songwriters as examples of great song craft. I’ve included links to YouTube where you can hear each song along with a short note on songwriting techniques to listen for—structure, lyric imagery/action words, melody style, and production.
“Winter Wonderland”
Jason Mraz with an excellent version of this seasonal classic. The vocal has a contemporary jazz flavor and conveys warmth, upbeat energy, and fun. The production is just guitar and vocal and nothin’ else! It’s simple and it’s effective. Learn more about creating basic bare bones arrangements.
“Silver Bells”
Notice how the imagery circles around a single idea – a busy street at holiday time. Contrasting with the bustle of the street and embodying the spirit of Christmas is the tight focus on silver bells in the chorus – an image of tradition, purity, and light. Try something like this with a family, home, or holiday party setting.
“Take a Walk Through Bethlehem”
By having the singer describe a stroll through the streets of Bethlehem today, this lyric expresses the biblical story of Christmas while making it relevant to current listeners. Also notice how the lyric evokes feelings and paints pictures rather than making direct statements about what Christmas means to the singer.
“The Christmas Waltz”
This beautiful Christmas song is in 3/4 time. There aren’t many holiday songs that use this waltz feel. Try an unusual time signature or groove to create a unique holiday song in a song of your own. Also, the raw sound of the piano and simple guitar/vocal arrangement give this track an “indie” feel. It has had over 360,000 views on YouTube!
“All I Want for Christmas Is You”
This is a theme that’s popular with songwriters and has been used many times. If you want to write a Christmas love song like this one, see if you can give it a fresh angle. Spend some time thinking about how you’ll approach it before you start writing. Here are some tips for bringing your lyric theme to life.
“If On a Winter’s Night”
Sting explains the inspiration behind his album “Winter” which started out as a Christmas album and broadened into an evocation of a season – both its darkness and its beauty.
See if there are some ideas in what he says that suggest songs to you. For you folks “down under,” summer is your holiday season. Try expressing the feelings, sights, and sounds that go with that idea!
Do It Now!
Write a song based on the holiday or season of your choice. Use some of the techniques you hear in the songs listed above. For more detailed info on writing and pitching holiday songs, read Holiday Songs: ‘Tis the Season.
