12 Songs of Christmas - #2 Somewhere In My Memory
John Williams - 1990 Michael W. Smith - 2014
To read the "12 Songs of Christmas Intro," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #12 - "God Bless Us Everyone," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #11 - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #10 - "All I Want for Christmas is You," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #9 - "Santa Baby," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #8 - "Baby, It's Cold Outside," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #7 - "Celebrate Me Home," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #6 - "Don't Waste Your Wishes," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #5 - "I'll Be Home for Christmas," please CLICK HERE To read Song #4 - "Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song)," please CLICK HERE
To read Song #3 - "Do They Know It's Christmas" please CLICK HERE
Why it's on the list...
Today’s post is about Christmas movies and maybe movies in general. Some of my All-Time Favorite Christmas Movies (see below) are “Home Alone” parts 1 and 2 (they are almost identical films down to similar plot beats but the move to NYC in the 2nd one kept it fresh).
It took me years to figure this out but I finally did - movies today are either ultra heavy and somber and self righteous or they swing way too far the other way and are completely zany and unrealistic and over the top slapsticky.
The “Home Alone” films (and many movies of the past) found a nice balance between both worlds. Sure the Wet Bandits getting beat to hell is straight out of a Tom & Jerry cartoon but (1) it’s really on a few minutes of the entire movie and (2) that wacky violence is measured with a real story with real heart. Try it sometime - watch “Home Alone” and fast forward through the robbers getting murdered through all of Kevin’s booby traps. Both are legit heartwarming stories on their own.
The other thing that helps ground both films is the music.
John Williams (of “Star Wars” fame) composed the score for both movies and again, it could have been all upbeat, circus sounds but instead Williams gave the music some depth and soul.
One of the pieces he composed (and was used in both movies) was “Somewhere in My Memory.” The melody is used throughout the first film but you can actually hear the lyrics being sung as a lonely Kevin walks down the street and sees families in their homes celebrating together.
This song has been embedded in my innermost being since the early 90’s. I sing it year round, all the time. And it becomes even more special at Christmas.
Then in 2014, Christian artist, Michael W. Smith, covered his own version with his daughter and it’s just perfect. What’s been wild is how much Jack loves it. He actually asks for it now and I will hear him singing it throughout the house on his own - exactly like I still do.
It’s wild to have something you love on your own and then watch your kids discover it and enjoy it too.
(Note - the image from today's graphic above is actually from "Home Alone 2." It's from this sweet little scene where Kevin is missing his family and looks out from his Plaza Hotel room and sees the star above the children's hospital. Another moment of a heartfelt moment stabilizing the insanity that is about to ensue.)
While We’re Here…
Top 5 All Time Favorite Christmas Movies!
5. Just Friends
Definitely more on the slapstick side of things but Ryan Reynolds is fantastic in this one. Sum and I have our inside joke favorite parts (i.e. “FORGIVENESS! MORE THAN SAYING I’M SORRY!”)
It’s like a 2 hour “Frasier” episode of misunderstandings and mishaps.
I know this is a cliche Christmas movie but I legit LOVE this movie. Like as a movie on it’s own beyond Christmas. In my Top 40, I wrote about how “St. Elmo’s Fire” has changed for me as I’ve gotten older and this one is the exact same experience.
2. Home Alone / Home Alone 2
For all the reasons mentioned above and one of the great movie lines of all time: “I am upstairs, dummy."
The other day, my mortal enemy, Elizabeth (DAMNIT, PATRICE!!!!) called me out for being hipster about liking “All I Want for Christmas Is You” before everyone else and I’m going to do it again here. I’ve loved this movie since before I can remember and it was almost impossible to find it as a kid. Then in the late 90’s TBS started randomly running it for 24 hours straight on Christmas Eve and then the movie popped as a cultural phenomenon. Bizarre experience. Yeah, the overarching “plot” of the movie is that Ralphie wants a BB-gun for Christmas. Fine, I’ll give you that. But what *I* love about “A Christmas Story” is that it’s just a bunch of vignettes about life in the 40’s at Christmas time strung together. This is my biggest gripe with modern TV shows: I don’t need all these wacky and complicated premises. Just give six friends in a coffee shop or a psychiatrist navigating life or a bunch of comic book nerds eating dinner together. Life is rarely “about” something. The best shows and movies are the ones that just feature fantastic characters.
Listen to "Somewhere in My Memory" here:
And here is the John Williams version:
Omgsh I got a shout out! Am I famous now?!
ReplyDelete