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.
dude, relax! its a fun tune, with spanish(not Mexican,clueless) and english lyrics. you’re reading waaaay too much into it! [expletive deleted]!
oh, and despite “rumors”, the mexicans aren’t taking over.=)
He said the song was Mexican, not in Mexican.
Read more carefully.
“By title, opening line, and style, the song is obviously Mexican. Then, it breaks into English.”
Umm, I re-read it, carefully, and it’s still there. Now what should I do?
Does it sound Flamenco to you?
Does it sound Spanish or does it sound like it is in Spanish?
Thanks Daniel. You are a good and careful reader.
I don’t know that this post needs commenting except as we exit the European Christmas season. I can understand what I presume must have been Frank from somewhere north of Nebraska, but let him turn into Franco from south Texas and see if his perception changes. The reason this song is so grotesque is that large swaths of this land are now assumed to be primarily Aztec, and thus the Aztec interpretation of everything is presumed with a little English sprinkled in for the guero. At the very least, the multi-culture is assumed. And I concede, the Aztecs really aren’t taking over where I live; they’ve already taken over, and now we even sing their music and speak their language. I wonder if that could ever morph into us “making marriages with them, and giving our daughters unto them, and taking their daughters unto us such that they shall dwell with us: and our land shall be before them and they dwell and trade therein, and take our possessions therein?” Nah, I’m certain it will all stop at a bad, if catchy tune.