Count Five: Robyn Hitchcock's Favorite Holiday Songs

Posted on Dec 24th 2009 11:00AM by Jason Cohen
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Robyn Hitchcock's got a bit of Yuletide on the brain this year: Anyone who buys his current 'I Often Dream of Trains in New York' live DVD will be rewarded with a Christmas ornament. Now he and Hannah Bird have teamed up to direct a short video called 'The Day Before Boxing Day,' which retells the Nativity through animated vegetables and other sundries.

In that spirit, Spinner asked Hitchcock for five of his own musical Christmas favorites. The singer-songwriter skipped 'Jingle Bells' and 'Father Christmas' in favor of songs from several of his most beloved artists that still bring to mind the season. Check out his list below.

1. The Incredible String Band, 'Chinese White': A magic Christmas Tree shines in the chorus. Mike Heron wrote it while studying for his accountancy exams, on psychedelics.

2. Syd Barrett, 'Gigolo Aunt': I first heard it at Christmas 1971. Reminds me of long winter walks by the seaside.

3. Martin Carthy, 'The Famous Flower of Serving Men': A vengeful ballad of family homicide -- very much the mood at Christmastime, with reincarnation and burning thrown in too.

4. The Beatles, 'I Am the Walrus': It came out when it was snowing in 1967. I made myself some lilac sunglasses out of sweet wrappers.

5. John Lennon, 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)': His sloganeering period left his beautiful voice draped over this horribly catchy song, recurring each year.