Honky Tonk Christmas Displays Alan Jackson at his Country-est

September 11th, 2001 inspired many songwriters to craft musical responses to one of the greatest tragedies in America’s history. Among the many 9-11 songs that emerged, the one that resonated with me most deeply was a humble reflection that acknowledged how many different reactions there were, condemning none while gently encouraging listeners to consider that “Faith, hope and love are some good things [God] gave us, and the greatest is love.” That song was Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) by Alan Jackson, and I have been a fan ever since.

This year, I decided it was high time I checked out his Christmas albums. Honky Tonk Christmas came out in 1993, and there’s no mistaking that it’s a country album. Most of the songs here are unfamiliar to me, which makes it more interesting, and though I listen to this genre of music only occasionally, I find the overt country flavor quite fun, and sometimes touching. One thing I’ve always appreciated about country music is that so much of it is narrative, and there are some great stories to be found here.

1. A Honky Tonk Christmas - A very twangy lament in which the speaker bemoans the loss of a love but asserts, “I’ll be over you by New Year’s Eve.” Too peppy to be depressing, it boasts verses full of amusing turns of phrase. A fun start to the album.

2. The Angels Cried - A lovely duet with Alison Krauss, whose voice reminds me a bit of Dolly Parton’s. Sweet and reflective, it imagines the angels’ reaction to the birth of Jesus. “The angels knew what was to come / The reason God had sent his son from up above / It filled their hearts with joy to see / And knowing of his destiny came tears of love...”

3. If We Make It Through December - The twangy guitars are back, and like the first track, it find the speaker in a rough spot, but the tone is less whiny here, more optimistic: “If we make it through December, we’ll be fine.” Love the banjo work too.

4. If You Don't Wanna See Santa Claus - A slow song reminiscent song reminiscent of Baby, Please Come Home, it’s romantic and morose, begging, “Baby, come back to me if you don’t wanna see Santa Claus cry.”

5. I Only Want You For Christmas - The first unabashedly cheerful song on the album. “Tie a ribbon around yourself,” he suggests, and the implication is that here, he’s asking for something he already has rather than pining away after someone who’s left him.

6. Merry Christmas to Me - But it’s back to the lament with this one, the only song on the album written by Jackson. This plaintive number is drenched in mournful fiddles as he describes opening a present he doesn’t want to give himself and realizing how sad it is to be alone. “Today I took some paper from the closet / And wrapped the wedding ring / You left behind / And I addressed it to the man / Who vowed to love you...”

7. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas - It’s odd to hear this one after six unfamiliar tunes, but it’s nice to have at least one song on the album that most people can probably sing along with the first time around. Pretty straightforward, but I love the fiddles.

8. There's a New Kid in Town - This duet with Keith Whitley is just as lovely as The Angels Cried, with an instrumental bit reminiscent of Dire Straits‘ theme song for The Princess Bride. Humble and quiet, it imagines the Bethlehem innkeeper responding to inquiries about the long-awaited king with, “there’s a new kid in town, but he’s just another baby, I suppose...” The mandolin adds a poignant touch to this tender track, which is perhaps my favorite on the album.

9. Santa's Gonna Come in a Pickup Truck - Alan teams up with Alvin and the Chipmunks for this fun track that, like If It Doesn’t Snow on Christmas, deals with meteorological barriers to Santa making his Christmas Eve trip. Alvin is especially worried that Santa won’t make it; he’s gotten a little greedier since the early days when his wildest dreams involved a hula hoop, and now he wants a 747. Alan tries to convince Alvin that he’s missing the point of Christmas, but his efforts don’t have much effect... “Santa's comin’ in a pickup / Instead of his trusty sleigh. / He'll have a truck instead of reindeer / To carry him on his way...”

10. Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas) - This is one of my favorite John Denver Christmas songs just because the subject matter is so unusual. Really, it’s quite a depressing song, but at least it leaves us with the possibility that Daddy will take heed this time around. The lyrics are a downer, but the music, with the honky tonk piano and lively fiddle, is unfailingly chipper, making it a good bookend for the opening track. And if somebody takes the message to heart, so much the better. “Just last year when I was only seven / (Now I'm almost eight, as you can see) / You came home a quarter past eleven / And fell down underneath our Christmas tree...”

In 2002, Alan Jackson released a more traditional Christmas album entitled Let It Be Christmas, and I’m anxious to check that one out as well. It’s more along the lines of what I usually listen to. But I love the unique flavor of Honky Tonk Christmas, and I’d be glad to deck my halls to the tune of those banjos and fiddles this December and the next.