“The Day After Christmas”
A post-Christmas song by Goudreault and Nielson
The day after Christmas
Snow on the doorstep
Presents are open, how many did you get?
The bills are all piled up from everything I spent
Got a new iPod but that doesn’t pay rent
Wave goodbye to one more holiday
Piles of wrapping paper, thrown away
Pretty soon it’s back to January now
Make New Years Resolutions somehow
And this is all that’s left, the day after Christmas
Leftover turkey, crash on the sofa
Lots of the eggnog so why don’t I toast ya?
Here’s to a good year and many more after
That Christmas would find ya and fill you with laughter
Wave goodbye to one more holiday
Piles of wrapping paper, thrown away
Pretty soon it’s back to normal in this town
Make angels in the snow with me
And this is all that’s left, the day after Christmas
–
It’s such a simple song with simple, silly lyrics but it’s one of my favourite Christmas songs because it manages to articulate with such sensitivity that feeling of seeing Christmas fading away in the rear-view mirror but not being too sad about it.
Going into this Christmas I was petrified because I didn’t have ANY money and wasn’t able to buy a single gift. That’s a pretty crappy feeling. Yet, as I eat the last of the cherry candy canes and pack my Santa hat away, I’m realizing that this Christmas was one of the best I’ve had in years.
With every Christmas party I went to (5 and counting …) I was reminded that there is way more to the season than giving and receiving. My family – usually separated by hundreds of kilometers and several divorces – celebrated in such a joyous way, in such harmony … I don’t think I could have asked for a better gift. Even one of the sweetest gifts – New Super Mario Bros. Wii – is not wildly appreciated because I’m a crazy gamer, but because it’s provided an opportunity to stomp on Goombas together with my brothers, sisters and even my mom! (She’s pretty good!)
So as the song says:
Here’s to a good year, and many more after
That Christmas would find ya’, and fill you with laughter
I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself in these next 9 months with no Christmas carols or candy canes to fill me with holiday cheer and the thrill of hope. Maybe, every couple months, I’ll pull out my Santa hat and see how many smiles I can get out of people.
Plus, my friend Nadine and I are working on a Christmas screenplay … which means I get to think about Christmas year-round. Over-zealous-dreaming-WIN.
I’ve been thinking about New Years Resolutions. What are yours?
–
francy
One Comment
Today was the last of my Christmas-related festivities. No sadness. Just lovely-holiday-induced contentment.
Resolutions? In part, to keep tackling my “Club 27″ before-I-die list. I’m pretty sure that Christmas-movie writing fits into it nicely. But such a task probably needs to include Christmas parties throughout the year. Just to ensure that the spirit doesn’t die. So keep that hat somewhat accessible