Christmas Music: Sarah McLachlan's Remake of "River" and Mary Chapin Carpenter's "On a Quiet Christmas Morn"

I am in full-on Christmas music listening mode. And it's great!!

I was thinking today, while listening to Burl Ives's Holly Jolly Christmas, why it is that certain songs you listen to as a kid have such an emotional pull on you. I can remember listening to Holly Jolly on the record player over and over, back in Dad's study - I just loved his rhymes and the funniness of the way he sang.

A couple of new favorites from this year: Sarah McLachlan's River is super beautiful. It's originally a Joni Mitchell song and the music and words capture -- for me, anyway -- the essence of contented melancholy. Here's an excerpt:

I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly

Tuck made us a mix again this year and it's as amazing as ever (even without any Amy Grant!!).

Among many gems on the mix, the best is Mary Chapin Carpenter's On a Quiet Christmas Morn. I remember Diane Rehm interviewing Mary Chapin last year when the album came out - it was kind of an annoying interview which must have made me not interested in the album, but this song is an all-time great.