Turn up the volume!

When my wife gets in my car after I’ve driving, she comments regularly on the loud volume of the speaker or radio. Since I have some slight nerve damage in my one ear, when I’m in the car by myself, I have a bad habit of cranking up the speaker. Throw in a favorite song and it can get especially loud.

After the most recent incident, my wife asked what I had been listening to and what had gotten me so excited. I wanted to impress her and give her some classic, hard-charging road trip song like Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys are Back in Town,” The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” or Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild.”

“Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Looking for adventure
In whatever comes our way”

Instead, I looked over meekly and told her “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” or was it “O, Come All Ye Faithful.” Whatever measure of musical appreciation, sophistication, and simple coolness I had before that moment went flying out the window.

I’m not much of a singer. I tend to be toe-tapper more than anything, except when it comes to Christmas Carols. I love listening to them this time of the year and can get a little over animated, joining in with my singing. Of course, I tend to turn up the volume. (My only off-limit songs are two: Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and Nat King Cole’s, “The Christmas Song.” I like both of them, I just tire of them being overplayed.)

I could probably list any number of favorites, but several that come to mind at the moment, include Amy Grant’s “Grown-Up Christmas List,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is coming to town,” and, of course, anyone singing “Silent Night” or “Ave Maria.” I’m also partial to the “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” but it’s not the lyrics, tune, or flow of the song. I have great memories about it for other reasons.

I write more about trying to remember the words to “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as a young kid in my post, “Ten lords a-leaping” on The Heart of the Matter. Yes, I could get a little creative. What Christmas Carols are special to you? Let me know what you think.

Related Story:

Ten lords a-leaping

on The Heart of the Matter

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38 thoughts on “Turn up the volume!”

  1. I love Christmas carols too! Sometimes my favorite changes from year to year, but I’ve noticed over the past several years that “Mary Did You Know”, the version by the Pentatonix, has been a stand-out.

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      2. Put me in my car on a long ride and I instantly become the 18 year old version of myself. I go back to the music I loved a that age. I wouldn’t mind looking like that 18 year old me for a little while, but oh well. He, he, at least I can still like the music.

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    1. Are you the one who turns the music up or the one who gets in the car and has to turn it back down? Ha, ha. I must admit that I do tend to turn it up a bit high. If I didn’t already have hearing loss, I’m sure I would after how high I sometimes have the music turned up. Ha, ha.

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  4. As long as I don’t have to listen to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” more than one time a season, and never have to listen to Elvis Presley’s version of “Blue Christmas”, any Christmas music suits me, secular or religious. I have a CD of TSO and I play it a lot, because it transfers energy from its sound to my body!

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    1. Yes, Trans Siberian Orchestra is pretty amazing. I’ve never been a big fan of Blue Christmas. I guess because it’s so sad. The slowness of it too always gets me. As far as Grandma bot run over by a reindeer, I can take it or leave it. There are so many deer around here, I get the impression of Rudolph coming out onto the road and running over every car that gets in its way. Crazy reindeer on the loose. Ha, ha.

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  5. I remember getting my hair cut while young, maybe 5, when the barber asked my favorite Christmas song. I said I didn’t know. A few minutes later, I started mindlessly bobbing along to Feliz Navidad. The barber said, “Ah ha! This must be your favorite.” I was so embarrassed because I didn’t even like the song… it was just catchy. To this day, I feel the same about so many Christmas songs. 🫣 My favorite Christmas songs are Mannheim Steamroller’s rock version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, any version of Mary Did You Know?, and Weird Al’s The Night Santa Went Crazy (mostly for nostalgia reasons).

    Also, totally unsolicited advice, but you’re interested in repairing the nerve damage in your ear, Orevida lion’s mane mushroom has been studied extensively for nerve regeneration. My FIL’s hearing loss improved, a friend resolved their diabetic neuropathy, and there have been several clinical studies confirming the same. Though, I wouldn’t blame you if you wan to keep the “sorry, didn’t hear you, dear” excuse in your back pocket. 😉

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    1. Um, do you have a camera in my house? 🤣🤣🤣 I wouldn’t say that I use it as an excuse but I have been known to use it as an advantage! “What! What’d you say?” Ha ha. I’ll have to check into lions mane. I’ve always had the hearing loss. I used to say that I got it from my brother’s beating me up.

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      1. Haha! Nope, but I’ve seen the tactic used by fathers, uncles, and more… it think selective hearing is an integral part of the training to become a man. 🤣🤣🤣 Do check it out! My FIL had hearing loss from hunt a lot when he was young. He’s stubborn and stopped, but it helped hime for several years before that.

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      2. Oh, I know a few wives and mothers who have selective hearing too. I know two who shall go nameless who suffer from it. I’ll definitely check it out. I’m seeing some warnings about nausea, but getting my hearing back would be a dream. Then I really could be selective in what I hear. Ha, ha.

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  6. Both of us are still blessed with normal hearing, but we most definitely like the volume level on the tv or radio or phone differently. Therefore, we have agreed-upon levels when we’re listening to the same thing. I am sure some folks drive each other nuts when their hearing abilities or tolerance differs. Lucky to say we have other things to drive each other nuts with…just kidding. 😉

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    1. Oh, it’s good to have things to drive each other nuts! Ha, ha. My wife doesn’t get too annoyed with me for turning up the music. She only gets annoyed when she sees that I’m not really listening to her when she says something. Oops, I didn’t really say that. Ha, ha.

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  7. No, no… not just anyone singing “Silent Night” – it MUST be by Mahalia Jackson! 😉
    That said, I hate when I get into my car, start it and then jump out of my seat because my radio is so loud… obviously when I shut it down the previous time, there was some good tune playing 😉 I can’t even blame anyone else!!

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  8. We had friends stop by and we drove them to dinner. When my husband turned on the car, the radio was blasting. They asked what he had been listening to. I said, “It was me. 70s hits.” Ooops. I do like Christmas carols too but agree some get overplayed. “What Child is This?” is my all time favorite, except for “O Holy Night.” It’s a tie.

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  9. I love my old Ella Fitzgerald album, Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas! Of course Kenny G is practically worn out along with George Winston, December. I love all the traditional stuff to and although my singing is painful to some, I love to sing-a-long! Merry Christmas Brian. Hugs, C

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  11. I love listening to carols this time of the year too. 😊 And did you read Brenda Lee’s song finally hit #1 on the billboard charts this year like several decades after it first came out. The Christmas music market is unstoppable!

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