Charlie Dore on the other C-word: Christmas

Charlie Dore: “Your main concern is finding an original angle.”

The esteemed British multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter’s confession on writing Christmas songs: avoid it or learn the rule of rule-breaking

It wasn’t without irony I realised that, just as I was asked to contribute an article on writing Christmas songs, I found myself binning several pages of a failed attempt at writing a Christmas song. I have to come clean here and admit that in a career spanning more decades than I care to be accurate about, until 2020 I had never written anything remotely festive or connected with Christmas. Nothing. No snow, no mistletoe, no bells and definitely no Santa. I had actually managed to give the whole subject a massive swerve.

SO WHAT CHANGED?

It was the year that changed. That year, 2020, bent oddly out of shape by the Covid pandemic left most people’s working lives in degrees of disarray, including most touring musicians. Like everyone else’s diary, mine had become a thicket of scratched-out gigs plus ‘Postponed?’ with a question mark added in hope, but only for the first few weeks. Then reality kicked in.

Most venues had shut their doors but some managed a successful transition into live internet shows. The most consistently popular of these (and my favourite too) was The Green Note hosting several online shows a week. A huge variety of artists across a range of folk, roots, country and several genres in between were pleased to be invited to play live sets down the line from home. Actually, it was a lifesaver – real music piped to an appreciative audience who posted their applause in real-time up on the screen.

So that November, when the Green Note announced it was putting on a Festive Special and inviting several of us to contribute a festive or Christmas song, I was happy and excited to be included. However, the excitement gradually dissolved into a kind of low-lying but insistent anxiety. And this was because I’d jumped at the gig knowing I didn’t actually have a single Christmas song in my catalogue. And that meant either I should pass the gig to someone who did, or write something myself – and pretty fast too. Could I write a decent song from scratch in so little time? I wasn’t sure. There were so many excellent writers and singers on the show it would be awful to knock off something average.

A EUREKA MOMENT

Talking with a friend I was bemoaning the fact that, just when I really needed a Christmas song, I didn’t have a single one in my catalogue. ‘You’d probably be better off going the In The Bleak Midwinter route,’ said my friend. Thinking about this later I realised that somehow I had re-written the Green Note’s nicely broad ‘Festive’ brief and managed to paint myself into a corner – a corner that required me to come up with THE CHRISTMAS SONG OF ALL TIME. No wonder I’d never attempted one before. Even now I’m still embarrassed to realise how easy it is to stand in one’s own way. Throughout my entire career, I’d avoided Christmas song territory because I felt it didn’t really fit with the kind of songs I was writing. It wasn’t really “me,” and all the best, quirky-genius angles had already been written.

Really all I needed was to adjust the lens on my little interior camera to take in a wider view. With hindsight, of course, I didn’t have to write the ultimate Christmas song when there were so many other options and angles out there. Who would invite such unnecessary pressure? I would! But that was before the eureka moment. It was a festive season show after all, not just for Christmas. A seasonal song could be interesting. I’d never written anything with a seasonal theme. ‘Think In The Bleak MidWinter I said to myself. Why not Winter?’ After all, the weather at that time of year can be obligingly nebulous… I think this is probably what happens when you finally get around to looking at old writing habits and decide you need to update most of them.

Charlie Dore: “Christmas music has suffered from too many massive cliches.” Photo: Jessie Morgan

WHAT ABOUT A FEW TIPS FOR WRITING CHRISTMAS SONGS?

You may be wondering at this stage what relevance any of this might have for you if you’re in the market for a little songwriting, seasonal or otherwise. After all, it would be entirely reasonable to expect some practical advice. A few thoughts and tips on writing songs for Christmas was the brief.

To be honest, I’m increasingly cautious to offer any advice on songwriting at all, let alone songs for Christmas, because songwriting is such a mysterious pursuit. I’m with WB Yeats on this one. You need to tread softly when you’re advising or appraising anyone’s work. It’s still someone’s dream you may be trampling. It’s true to say I’ve written hundreds of songs over the years, but at this point, I should probably mention exactly how many of those songs could be described as a Christmas song. Ready? Three.

These three came into existence at different times and speeds and, truthfully, only two were written specifically for Christmas. First out of the barrel was Santa And Edie, which I wrote for the Green Note show. The second, The Man Who Built Christmas was written almost a year later when I realised, if I wanted to put out a Christmas EP, I’d probably need more than one track.

The third song, When God Met Richard Dawkins had a lengthier gestation period. I’d hatched the basic idea thinking it would be a good song for someone else, but no one else did. I guess the premise of God and Richard Dawkins, both aged three meeting up in Santa’s grotto and having an unseemly fight over a present in Selfridges, wasn’t for everyone. So I shelved it unfinished until my Christmas EP needed a third song.

I’m not sure whether three out of several hundred qualifies as enough experience to even mention the Christmas angle with any authority, so I’ll try the next best thing. Here’s what I’ve gleaned from artists I admire. It’s fairly obvious to find a common theme here, however different their genres may be:

THAT THEME IS RULE-BREAKING

All these artists dare to break with their own norm. It doesn’t always work, but when you look through their records you can see they love shape-shifting. They experiment. Some more vividly than others, but I’ve found it inspiring to see how fearless many of them are. These artists never lose their identity, however far away they stray from their more successful and familiar songs.

OKAY, I DO HAVE SOME TIPS…

I think writing a Christmas song is the same as most other songwriting challenges except that, for a brief window of time, you’re in a very crowded area – certainly if you’re pitching a song commercially. If you’re not concerned with placing the song with another artist, the world is yours and so (I think) your main concern is finding an original angle. Christmas music has suffered from too many massive cliches, so if you can try for a genuinely unique approach, you’ll be starting a little further up the mountain!

Charlie Dore: “You learn a lot from failure.”

Meanwhile, some other thoughts…

Taking risks that may fail

You learn a lot from failure. A long time ago I made an album, most of which I consider a failure in that it didn’t represent me as I’d hoped. I was definitely at least 50 percent of the problem as I didn’t say, ‘No thanks,’ enough. Painful, but I won’t make that mistake again.

Try using an unfamiliar instrument

Tom Waits said, ‘Your fingers are like dogs. They go where they know,’ So if you play any instrument, however hesitantly, try using an unfamiliar instrument. I bought a harp and although it took hours of re-recording my amateur fumbling, it resulted in Another Madelaine, a song I wouldn’t have written on any other instrument. Buying a harmonium worked too, so many songs emerged when I could only play chords with one hand.

Turn your electric toothbrush on

It’ll give you a drone note. Keep it on and sing a melody against the drone. This may take you in more varied directions than you’d imagine. I wrote a song Blowing Leaves accompanied by next door’s leaf blower. You’d think it would restrict the melody, but in that case, it was useful and helped me be more adventurous.

Don’t use the C-word

Write a song with a story that takes place during Christmas but don’t mention Christmas. Listen to some of the celebrated classical composers…Chopin, Debussy, Elgar…  Pick just one short, simple section you haven’t heard endlessly on Radio 3 and brazenly write a short lyric for it. Obviously, many of these fabulous melodies have been plundered thoroughly down the years, but this is really an exercise in writing with a master.

Old but useful tricks for Jaded Brain Syndrome…

Write a “How To” song

This can be genuinely helpful, humorous, angry or sarcastic.

Look through the small ads in your local paper (if they’re still printing)

Pick one and write the back story. This is an older exercise but it’s a great place to start. Try beating “Wedding Dress. Size 12, Light Blue. Never worn”

And finally, here’s a very short selection of songs that include Christmas without milking it…

Regina Spector – My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)
This is a cover, a lovely tender slant on the equally heart-rending but differently angled original written by Paul Horner and Peggy Lee. Regina Spector has taken a leaf out of Simon and Garfunkel’s famous version of Silent Night where they set their voices against a sound collage of radio news bulletins using actual events in the summer of 1966. Regina’s version also uses a more subtly applied backdrop of the sounds of war and unrest including a low-flying helicopter, sirens and gunfire. Pitched against the hopeful and celebratory lyric her beautiful and wistful voice is heartbreaking and makes its point without ever needing to lecture.

Phoebe Bridgers – Christmas Song
Unusual. Deliciously dark, sad and beautiful. ‘You don’t have to be alone to be lonesome,’ followed by ‘The sadness comes crashing like a brick through the window. And it’s Christmas. So no one can fix it.’

Tom Waits – New Year’s Eve
Tom Waits at his seasonal best; still sad and funny in the same breath. A great song to waltz to when you’re in your cups.

Sufjan Stevens – Christmas In The Room
Unexpectedly positive, hopeful and celebratory song. It sounds sad but…Sufjan is several steps ahead. It is a Christmas song, but not like any others. So far.

The Pogues – Fairytale Of New York
One for the perfectionists. This was re-written and recorded many times before The Pogues were happy with it. What can be said except it was a giant leap forward for Christmas songs from that year on.

Simon & Garfunkel – Seven O’clock News/Silent Night
A perfect casserole of light and dark from Paul Simon. Often imitated but seldom as effective in making a point without lecturing.

Joni Mitchell – River
After all this time this still sounds timeless, so personal and so true. One that most women I know wish they’d written. Me too!

And the three songs mentioned earlier …my only Christmas EP. (So far…)

Charlie Dore – From The Man Who Built Christmas EP
Santa And Edie, The Man Who Built Christmas, When God Met Richard Dawkins.

Charlie Dore is on tour with Julian Littman from 5 December until 13 December. Dates and tickets from charliedore.com

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