Bad idea of the week: Michael Buble singing “Santa Baby”
My wife is a big fan of Canadian wall-paper jazz/pop singer Michael Buble. Me? Not so much. (Not that I dislike the guy. It is just that I’d like him better if he included more guitar distortion and double bass.) Right now his album of holiday standards is number 1 in North America, having sold a staggering four million copies in the last five weeks. The song list is pretty standard stuff for a crooner like Buble: “Jingle Bells”, “White Christmas”, “Santa Baby”…
Santa Baby?!
Okay, this is awkward. To be sure, “Santa Baby” has been a Christmas standard since Eartha Kitt recorded it in 1953. But, er, it’s a Christmas standard for the gals. And there’s a good reason. The song is a risque dance on the edge of blushing innuendo from the original Material girl singing to Sugar Daddy, oops I meant Santa Claus.
Now of all the dozens (nay, hundreds) of songs he could have chosen, Buble opts to provide his own rendition of a smoky standard intended for the fairer sex. What gives?
Mercifully, he didn’t adopt the lyrics wholesale. When Michael sings he informs Santa that he’s been a good guy (instead of girl), he bumps the convertible up to a ’65, and he drops the embarrassing request for a ring in favor of “cha-ching”. And with that Michael has demonstrated that a guy can sing “Santa Baby” and make it his own.
Not really. To be honest this works about as well as turkey flavored ice cream. And so for his decision to forgo countless solid modern standards (like Donnie Hathaway’s classic “This Christmas” for example) in favor of this eye-popping tribute to social awkwardness Michael Buble wins my Bad Idea of the Week award.
Tags: Christmas, Michael Buble, Santa Baby
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star2 says:
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 4:59pm
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Any songs that are not religious in nature and do not lift up the name of Jesus and His purpose for coming in to the world during the time we celebrate His birth (like Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Santa Baby, and etc) carry the Bad Idea for all time.
randal says:
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 5:09pm
Star2,
I think it is wise to distinguish the Christian period of advent and Christmas from the secular festivities of “Christmas” including Jingle Bells, candy canes, mistletoe and yule logs. There is nothing wrong with the latter, but “Christmas” should not crowd out Christmas as it sometimes does.
Ella Fitzgerald had it right. Years ago she recorded two Christmas albums to separate the secular from the sacred. I blogged about this in “Christmas music from sleigh rides to stone cold tombs.”
While mixing the sacred and secular is rarely wise, the worst example is when Amy Grant sings Natalie Cole’s “Grown-up Christmas list”, a song that serves as a prayer to Santa to bring the kingdom of God. Yikes.
star2 says:
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 6:54pm
“While mixing the sacred and secular is rarely wise, the worst example is when Amy Grant sings Natalie Cole’s “Grown-up Christmas list”, a song that serves as a prayer to Santa to bring the kingdom of God. Yikes.”
I agree with you there Randal!
lawren says:
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 3:53am
I feel like God sent Michael Buble as punishment for our sins. When his songs come on the radio I am reminded that I have sinned and this is my repentance. Sorry God but I do switch the station as fast as I can.
This latest Christmas Album has been sent as a test to ruin my Christmas. But I won’t let it. I will have a good Christmas in spite of the efforts of Michael Buble and the local radio stations.
David Marshall says:
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 5:34pm
I was trying to explain the horrors of that song to my son from the first time I heard the cursed thing. No, no, no, HEAVENS no. He got it. Is it too late to institute ritual human sacrifice as a sacrament of American secular religion?
MGT2 says:
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 11:28pm
My daughter and I like Michael Buble very much, thank you. He reminds me of the days when singers could really sing.
randal says:
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 11:37pm
I’ll tell my wife.
Incidentally, in 1996 I was at a now defunct jazz club on Broadway in Vancouver called “The Blue Note”. The singer that evening was great and I am about 90% sure he was Michael Buble. I’m happy to say I tipped him on the way out the door.
clamat says:
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 5:28pm
I’m not crazy about Buble as a singer, but I’ll have eternal respect for him for the “Hamm and Buble” sketch on Saturday Night Live. He was totally game and very funny.
star2 says:
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 1:34am
The celebration of Christmas has become so materialized and driven by the pleasures of the flesh that Jesus has become nothing more than a side note. He is not the center piece of Christmas for believers and certaintly not for non-believers.
What Christians are concerned for the salvation of others and showing the love of God to those who are hurting, in need of a touch from God or salvation from sin and a meaningless life? If concerned I guess they might invite a lost person to Church on the morning the Pastor preaches about the coming of Jesus if the Pastor even does that anymore.
The world should rename this time of year the Yule Celebration. After all, the evergreen trees, the lights, the wreathes, the mistletoes, the parties, the giving of gifts and etc are all part of this pagan celebration.
Katie says:
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 3:14am
Certainly the cultural celebration of Christmas has little to do with religious observance. But what’s wrong with celebrations?
A Student says:
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 4:30am
Wait a minute, do they have turkey flavoured ice cream? If they do I think it’s safe to say that my Christmas just got a little bit better.