First Word

It stands to reason that the most vulgar new Christmas song to be heard in the last 5 or 10 years is a big hit in America and Germany.

Why is it attractive? I suggest, because of the driving beat and the just-add-water profession of friendship. Consider first the latter. “I want to wish you a Merry Christmas”.

You do? Have we met?

“From the bottom of my heart.” Tell you what, next time I’ll settle for the top of your heart.

The driving beat is indicative of what is wrong with modern popular music. The Dorian Toccata and Fugue has a driving beat also, but it arises immanently from the exemplification of its own structure. When rhythmic pulsation must be sustained by banging on a drum, it is a sign that sense and spirit have become jaded, inert; something that must be poked and prodded once or twice per second, like an exhausted mule. It is joyless exuberance and spiritless animation.

By title, opening line, and style, the song is obviously Mexican. Then, it breaks into English. “I wanna wish…”

It is as if we are first being entertained by a Mexican band “out there” somewhere — perhaps, on the stage of a convention hall — which then shifts to addressing us in the second person, in our language.

A culture is presupposed — a multi-culture. Mexican accent and drum beat is unapologetically imposed, its right to do so taken for granted.

We the audience are allowed to keep a little space in our own land — these folks “wanna wish us” a Merry Christmas, after all, and they are even willing for a moment to condescend to the use of our (soon to be foreign?) language.