Christmas Song, Really

Jessie: They know that Santa's on his way

James: Yay!

Meowth: He's loading lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh

James: Hurray!

Meowth: And every mother's child is gonna spy

James: Why oh why?

Jessie: To see if Stantler really know how to fly

James: My oh my! - And so, I'm offering this simple phrase/To kids from one to ninety-two - me and you!

Meowth: Although it's been said, many times, many ways/Merry Christmas to you...

-- "The Christmas Song", from Pokémon Christmas Bash

After a year of not discussing something from the Pokémon Christmas Bash album on this very day (see below), it seems proper to go "back to the roots" and do so this year. Now, because of current conditions through what happened over the course of this year, the Christmas merriment is somewhat different, almost as if it's also demanding a return to the roots. With that, it seems appropriate to also go "back to the roots" with one of the songs from that album, and that would be with this song.

This song is a classic, having existed since 1945, written at that time by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé. As the story goes, the song was written when it wasn't even Christmas time; it was conceived in the middle of summer intentionally to evoke winter to at least provide the illusion of cooling off. Yet the writing process "snowballed", and the full-fledged song was written. It can then be said that the songwriting was also going "back to the roots" of winter, so to speak. Since the first recording in 1946, it has become a Christmas staple, and it also takes the Pokémon form as above.

As I've dropped way back near the beginning of this blog, the version on the album is sung by an unlikely trio of sorts, being Team Rocket as Jessie, James, and Meowth. Though this is properly a song (as with any popular rendition), the version by Team Rocket plays out like a narrative, as Jessie and James mostly speak the lyrics rather than sing them; the only one who constantly sings throughout is Meowth, and then there is a background chorus just to aid things to flow somewhat. They dedicate this song to "all our fans" - of them - despite not having any but with the conviction that they will.

On the whole, this song (at least in its original incarnation) has little to do with Pokémon. It's about an illustration of wintertime and specifically Christmas time, if the story behind its songwriting is of any indication. Therefore, there has to be a way of making it have Pokémon flavor, and there is: instead of "reindeer", it becomes "Stantler", which is the reindeer analogue of the world of Pokémon. This occurs in both places where the said creature is mentioned, of which one of them is the above chorus and verse, and I've underlined it for emphasis. Yet it's still very much a meaningful change.

This song should mean a lot to many people around this time of year, regardless of the version. But for fans of Pokémon - whether or not they are also fans of the not-so-dynamic Team Rocket trio - this song might resonate somewhat more, even if it's less of a song in the way that they sing it. And though the atmosphere of this year's Christmas may be far off from what this song describes, as may be the case for any year, it may still be nice to maintain the fantasy, even with a Pokémon touch.

One year ago: Let's Go Play with Buddies

Two years ago: Keeping Homes in Hearts

Three years ago: Cool Wintry Song