SNOWMAN

SIA

SONGWRITERS: SIA KATE ISOBELLE FURLER & GREG KURSTIN

COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA

ALBUM: EVERYDAY IS CHRISTMAS

LABEL: MONKEY PUZZLE

GENRE: BALLAD

YEAR: 2017

 

              Sia Kate Isobelle Furler (/ˈsiːə/SEE-ə; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer, songwriter, voice actress and director. She started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s in Adelaide. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she released her debut studio album, titled OnlySee, in Australia. She moved to London, England, and provided vocals for the British duo Zero 7. Sia released her second studio album, Healing Is Difficult, in 2000, and her third studio album, Colour the Small One, in 2004.

            Sia relocated to New York City in 2005 and toured in the United States. Her fourth and fifth studio albums, Some People Have Real Problems and We Are Born, were released in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Each was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association and attracted wider notice than her earlier albums. Uncomfortable with her growing fame, Sia took a hiatus from performing, during which she focused on songwriting for other artists, producing successful collaborations "Titanium" (with David Guetta), "Diamonds" (with Rihanna) and "Wild Ones" (with Flo Rida).

                In 2014, Sia broke through as a solo recording artist when her sixth studio album, 1000 Forms of Fear, debuted at No 1 in the U.S. Billboard 200 and generated the top-ten single "Chandelier" and a trilogy of music videos co-directed by Sia and starring child dancer Maddie Ziegler. Since then, Sia has usually worn a wig that obscures her face to protect her privacy. Her seventh studio album, This Is Acting (2016), spawned her first Billboard Hot 100 number one single, "Cheap Thrills". The same year, Sia gave her Nostalgic for the Present Tour, which incorporated dancing by Ziegler and others and other performance art elements. Her eighth studio album, Everyday Is Christmas, was released in 2017 and reissued in 2018 with three bonus tracks. In 2018, she collaborated with Labrinth and Diplo in the group LSD, and they released their self-titled debut album in April 2019.

             Sia wrote and directed an upcoming feature film, titled Music. Among the accolades received by Sia are nearly a dozen ARIA Awards, 9 Grammy Award nominations and an MTV Video Music Award.

          "Snowman" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Sia. It was released on 9 November 2017 as the first and only promo single from Sia's eighth studio album and first Christmas album, Everyday Is Christmas. The song became popular in December 2020 following a TikTok challenge

             "Snowman" was written by Sia and frequent collaborator Greg Kurstin, and runs for a length of 2 minutes and 45 seconds. The song is a piano-driven ballad over which Sia's vocals, described as "calm but energetic" by mxdwn, tell a snowman not to cry as he will melt. Slant Magazine described the song as a "clever ode to fleeting romance". Slate named it the best song on Everyday Is Christmas, noting it "[takes] something we associate with winter and [applies] it to a universal theme." 

Don't cry snowman right in front of me

Who will catch your tears

If you can't catch me, darling

If you can't catch me, darling

Don't cry snowman don't leave me this way

A puddle of water

Can't hold me close, baby

Can't hold me close, baby

 

I want you to know that I'm never leaving

'Cause I'll miss the snow

Till death will be freezing

You are my home, my home for a season

So come on let's go

Let's go below zero

And hide from the Sun

I love you forever

And we'll have some fun

Yes let's hit the North Pole and live happily

Please don't cry no tears now

It's Christmas baby

 

My snowman and me

My snowman and me

Baby

 

Don't cry snowman

Don't you fear the Sun

Who'll carry me

Without legs to run, honey

Without legs to run, honey

Don't cry snowman

Don't you shed a tear

Who'll hear my secrets

If you don't have ears, baby

If you don't have ears, baby

 

I want you to know that I'm never leaving

'Cause I'll miss the snow

Till death will be freezing

You are my home, my home for a season

So come on let's go

Let's go below zero

And hide from the Sun

I love you forever

And we'll have some fun

Yes let's hit the North Pole and live happily

Please don't cry no tears now

It's Christmas baby

 

My snowman and me

My snowman and me

Baby.

WINTER WONDERLAND

DEAN MARTIN

SONGWRITERS: FELIX BERNARD & DICK SMITH

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK

LABEL: VARIOUS DATES

GENRE: CHRISTMAS SONG

YEAR: 2002

 

             Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, recording artist and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool" for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance.

        Martin gained his career breakthrough together with comedian Jerry Lewis, billed as Martin & Lewis, in 1946. They performed in nightclubs and later had numerous appearances on radio, television and in films. Following an acrimonious ending of the partnership in 1956, Martin pursued a solo career as a performer and actor.

          Martin established himself as a notable singer, recording numerous contemporary songs as well as standards from the Great American Songbook. He became one of the most popular acts in Las Vegas and was known for his friendship with fellow artists Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., who together formed the Rat Pack.

           Starting in 1965, Martin was the host of the television variety program The Dean Martin Show, which centered on Martin's singing and comedic talents and was characterized by his relaxed, easy-going demeanor. From 1974 to 1984, he was roastmaster on the popular Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, which drew notable celebrities, comedians and politicians.

            Throughout his career, Martin performed in concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings and appeared in 85 film and television productions. His relaxed, warbling, crooning voice earned him dozens of hit singles, including his signature songs "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" and "Volare".

              Christmas with the Rat Pack is a 2002 album compiling Christmas songs by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.

(Wonderland winter wonderland wonderland)

Sleigh bells ring are you listening

In the lane snow is glistening

A beautiful sight oh we're happy tonight

Walking in a winter wonderland

 

Gone away is the bluebird

Here to stay is a new bird

He's singing a song as we go along

Walking in a winter wonderland

 

Well in the meadow we can build a snowman

And pretend that he is Parson Brown

He'll say are you married we say no man

But you can do the job when you're in town

 

Later on we'll conspire as we dream by the fire

To face unafraid of the plans that we made

Walking in a winter wonderland

 

(In the meadow we can build a snowman)

And pretend he's a circus clown

We have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman

Until the other kiddies knock him down

 

Oh when it snows ain't it filling

Though your nose gets a chilling

We'll frolic and play the Eskimo way

Walking in a winter wonderland

(Wonderland wonderland).

MERRY CHRISTMAS, DARLING

THE CARPENTERS

SONGWRITERS: FRANK POOLER & RICHARD LYNN CARPENTER

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT

LABEL: A & M RECORDS

GENRE: SOFT

YEAR: 1978

 

           The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (b.1946). They produced a distinct soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's harmonizing, arranging and composition skills. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded ten albums, along with numerous singles and several television specials.

        The siblings were born in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Downey, California, in 1963. Richard took piano lessons as a child, progressing to California State University, Long Beach, while Karen learned the drums. They first performed together as a duo in 1965 and formed the jazz-oriented Richard Carpenter Trio followed by the middle-of-the-road group Spectrum. Signing as Carpenters to A&M Records in 1969, they achieved major success the following year with the hit singles "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". Subsequently, the duo's brand of melodic pop produced a record-breaking run of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, and they became leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening and adult contemporary music genres. The Carpenters had three number-one singles and five number-two singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen number-one hits on the Adult Contemporary chart, in addition to twelve top-10 singles. They have sold more than 90 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The duo toured continually during the 1970s, which put them under increased strain; Richard took a year off in 1979 after he had become addicted to Quaalude, while Karen suffered from anorexia nervosa.

           Their career together ended in 1983 when Karen died from heart failure brought on by complications of anorexia. Extensive news coverage surrounding these circumstances increased public awareness of eating disorders. Though the Carpenters were criticized for their clean-cut and wholesome conservative image in the 1970s, their music has since been re-evaluated, attracting critical acclaim and continued commercial success.

            "Merry Christmas Darling" is a Christmas song by the Carpenters (music by Richard Carpenter, lyrics by Frank Pooler), and originally recorded in 1970. It was first available on a 7-inch single that year (A&M Records 1236), and was later re-issued in 1974 (A&M 1648) and again in 1977 (A&M 1991). The single went to number one on Billboard's Christmas singles chart in 1970 (and did so again in 1971 and 1973) and peaked at number 41 in Cashbox.

                In 1978, the Carpenters issued their Christmas Portrait album, which contained a new version of "Merry Christmas Darling". The original 1970 mix continued to be used for all single releases, however. The major difference between the 1970 and 1978 versions is a newly recorded vocal by Karen Carpenter on the latter, which was done at her request. Richard Carpenter himself calls the original recording one of his sister's very best. The original single version of the song can be found on the compilation albums From the Top and The Essential Collection: 1965–1997.

Greeting cards have all been sent

The Christmas rush is through

But I still have one wish to make

A special one for you

Merry Christmas, darling

We're apart, that's true

But I can dream

And in my dreams

I'm christmasing with you

Holidays are joyful

There's always something new

But every day's a holiday

When I'm near to you

The lights on my tree

I wish you could see

I wish it every day

The logs on the fire

Fill me with desire

To see you and to say

That I wish you merry

Christmas

Happy new year too

I've just one wish

On this Christmas eve

I wish I were with you

I wish I were with you

Merry Christmas, darling.

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER

BOB DYLAN

SONGWRITER: BOB DYLAN

WHERE: AT THE CONCERT FOR THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: JOHN WESLEY HARDING

LABEL: COLUMBIA RECORDS

GENRE: FOLK ROCK

YEAR: 1967

 

                Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author and visual artist. Widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture for more than 50 years. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963) and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (1964) became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements. His lyrics during this period incorporated a range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defied pop music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture.

                Following his self-titled debut album in 1962, which mainly comprised traditional folk songs, Dylan made his breakthrough as a songwriter with the release of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan the following year. The album features "Blowin' in the Wind" and the thematically complex "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall". For many of these songs, he adapted the tunes and phraseology of older folk songs. He went on to release the politically charged The Times They Are a-Changin' and the more lyrically abstract and introspective Another Side of Bob Dylan in 1964. In 1965 and 1966, Dylan drew controversy when he adopted electrically amplified rock instrumentation, and in the space of 15 months recorded three of the most important and influential rock albums of the 1960s: Bringing It All Back Home (1965), Highway 61 Revisited (1965) and Blonde on Blonde (1966). Commenting on the six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965), Rolling Stone wrote: "No other pop song has so thoroughly challenged and transformed the commercial laws and artistic conventions of its time, for all time."

             In July 1966, Dylan withdrew from touring after a motorcycle accident. During this period, he recorded a large body of songs with members of the Band, who had previously backed him on tour. These recordings were released as the collaborative álbum The Basement Tapes in 1975. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dylan explored country music and rural themes in John Wesley Harding (1967), Nashville Skyline (1969), and New Morning (1970). In 1975, he released Blood on the Tracks, which many saw as a return to form. In the late 1970s, he became a born-again Christian and released a series of albums of contemporary gospel music before returning to his more familiar rock-based idiom in the early 1980s. Dylan's 1997 album Time Out of Mind marked the beginning of a renaissance for his career. He has released five critically acclaimed albums of original material since then, the most recent being Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020). He also recorded a series of three albums in the 2010s comprising versions of traditional American standards, especially songs recorded by Frank Sinatra. Backed by a changing lineup of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour.

               Since 1994, Dylan has published eight books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. He has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, ten Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Pulitzer Prize Board in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power". In 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition" 

             "All Along the Watchtower" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The song initially appeared on his 1967 album, John Wesley Harding, and it has been included on most of Dylan's subsequent greatest hits compilations. Since the late 1970s, he has performed it in concert more than any of his other songs. Different versions appear on four of Dylan's live albums.

           Covered by numerous artists in various genres, "All Along the Watchtower" is strongly identified with the interpretation Jimi Hendrix recorded for the album Electric Ladyland with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The Hendrix version, released six months after Dylan's original recording, became a Top 20 single in 1968, received a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001, and was ranked 47th in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.

There must be some way out of here

Said the joker to the thief

There's too much confusion

I can't get no relief

 

Business men they drink my wine

Plow men dig my Earth

None of them along the line

Know what any of it is worth

 

No reason to get excited

The thief he kindly spoke

There are many here among us

Who fell that life is but a joke?

 

But you and I, we've been through that

And this is not our fate

So let us not talk falsely now

The hour is getting late

 

All along the watchtower

Princes kept the view

While all the women came and went

Barefoot servants too

 

Outside in the distance

A wild cat did growl

Two riders were approaching

The wind began to howl.