Most of us here in America are getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday later this week. We're thankful for you, loyal blog readers, and how you sometimes take the time to comment on our music posts. So today Scott's giving you a topical mix that you can play as you heat up your turkey and finish your pumpkin pies. Let's start with:
Turkey In The Straw
I gotta say, I've heard this melody in Warner Brothers cartoons since I was a child, and it's the very first time I've known about the lyrics. And check out the proto-punk sax solo! Forty years later that guy would have been an MTV superstar!
More inside!
Hot Turkey Sandwich
This Jim Dorie cover is by a guy named Andrew Spicer, who I only discovered while working on this post. But isn't that a catchy tune? It's family-friendly without being condescending in the slightest, and I bet you'll catch yourself humming it later. Perfect company for all that work in the kitchen. Hey, and speaking of the kitchen...
Mashed Potato Time
Don't try and act like you aren't serving mashed potatoes. They're delicious, and even if you're on some serious anti-carb diet, c'mon, it's Thanksgiving! Everybody's supposed to indulge a little! Look, if you dance along to this while you cook, those calories won't even matter.
Macy's Day Parade
What's more American than watching the Macy's parade? Complaining about the Macy's parade! If you're like most households, you'll put it on and then proceed to ignore it, maybe checking in when you hear a band starting up. Here Green Day takes a stand against... well, they're Green Day, so who can tell? What's important is that they mention the parade, and so they're on my list. Not that I'm cutting corners or anything. It's just 100% Thanksgiving songs for me!
Linger
Funny thing about cranberries. If you don't put them out, someone complains. If you do, it's always a bit too much, and what you've got just lingers. This melancholy song by the band of the same name captures the disastrous relationship between chef and garnish, and how foolish it can feel to be tied to old traditions. And yet, what's the holiday without them?
Cold Turkey
John Lennon captures the feeling of heading to the icebox the day after Thanksgiving. "Cold turkey? Ugh! But I just ate that yesterday!" Listen to his howls of protest at the end. Haven't we all felt that way about leftovers once or twice?
Young Turks
Ah, the joys and freedom of young love. Rod Stewart dreamed up a heartwarming story in this song, the tale of a couple making a grocery store run for the last turkey in the freezer (a ten pound baby, boy!) It's a real Thanksgiving classic about two lovebirds and their first holiday alone. Sure hope that Patti has time to cook that thing properly! The first turkey's hard to make!
Gabba Gabba Hey
Gabba, being short for the turkey's well known Gobble, is the clue that this song is really a celebration of the life of the Wild Turkey. It was Ben Franklin who first said that the turkey was the most noble of all our country's birds, and the most courageous too! Is it any wonder the Ramones decided to salute this national treasure?
Feel free to add your comments, observations, or criticisms in the comments below. What songs about Thanksgiving did we miss? Feel free to explain your reasoning, we're dying to know.
