12 Songs of Christmas - #12 God Bless Us Everyone

Andrea Bocelli 2009

Disclaimer: All perspectives, opinions, and memories in this entry are mine and mine alone. Some content is rugged, raw, and - sometimes - NSFW, but it's all authentic and included with purpose.

To read the "12 Songs of Christmas Intro," please CLICK HERE

Why it's on the List...

This song might be lesser known as it snuck onto the soundtrack of the Robert Zemeckis stop motion adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” starring Jim Carrey in 2009. 

I think it played over the credits and it’s stayed with me ever since - it’s big, grand, and sweeping (you might notice those particular attributes a few more times over the next 12 days).

And the build to Andrea Bocelli’s final note is completely worth the price of admission.

The entire track feels like “classic” Christmas to me. Feels Dickens-ian and European gothic. I would give anything to hear this song performed in a castle or old church that’s been decorated to the nines for the season.

And how brilliant was it to turn the trademark line from “A Christmas Carol” into its own song? 

Can’t believe that hadn’t been done (or done this well) before.

While We’re Here...

Since we are talking about “A Christmas Carol,” might as well take this opportunity to rank my Top 5 All-Time Favorite versions of this holiday classic:

5. A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)

Do NOT ask me why we like this one but Sum and I can’t resist watching every single year (I think we even OWN it on DVD!). None of the story makes sense - Fred is experiencing the ghosts of Christmas past as he’s in a play performance of the same story. Who knows? But we watch it every year and we love it.

4. Scrooged (1988)

Bill Murray as the Scrooge character is money. The special effects haven't aged great but I still enjoy it.

3. A Christmas Carol (2009)

The Jim Carrey version as mentioned above. Zemeckis mentioned that he appreciated the opportunity to tackle the original content as closely as possible because of the animated approach. It definitely tells the deeper, richer story and some of the camera work is incredible.

2. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

SUPER short at only 26 minutes, this version flies through the story but still manages to be so warm and charming. The music in it is great as well. It’s amazing the things we remember as a kid - I vividly remember one year when we drove to my grandparents for Christmas. We stopped at a McDonald’s and I got the Scrooge McDuck plush doll. I rode with it in the night to my grandparents and that memory has lasted with me so strongly all of these years.

1. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)

A little bit of a cheat because it’s not actually a version of “A Christmas Carol” but instead the story of how Christmas Carol WROTE the classic tale. Highly recommend if you haven’t seen it yet.

Listen to "God Bless Us Everyone" Here: