EAR WORM: The Jimmie's Nothin' For Christmas

Photo of the Jimmies from their Facebook Page

I was listening to the radio this morning, and I heard what may be my new favorite holiday song:  The Jimmies Nothin' For Christmas.  It's a great song that features a non-recalcitrant girl/torch singer who is getting nothing for Christmas because she's been bad.  She then lists her multiple sins, which are funny and hilarious.  The background music is piano and a little punky, like a lot of the Jimmie's work.

 Here are the lyrics of the opening.

I'm getting nothin' for Christmas
Mommy and Daddy are mad
I'm getting nothin' for Christmas
Cuz I ain't been nothin' but bad.

 I cut my sister's long blond hair (somebody snitched on me)

I bacon wrapped my teddy bear (somebody snitched on me) 

I dared my friend to lick my shoe
I tried to brush my teeth with glue
I died the family cat dark blue
Somebody snitched on me.

It turns out that it's not an original song, I just hadn't heard it before.  I did a little research and found a lot of other people had covered it, including Eartha Kitt, Spike Jones, Shirley Temple, Reliant K, Smash Mouth, and a lot more.  According to Wikipedia, in 1955 it was a million seller and was on the Billboard charts by 6 different artists!  I don't know how I missed this song, but somehow I did.

I've listened to a few of the versions now, and what I really like about the Jimmies version is that it's not cutesy.  It's about this girl who has accepted the fact that she has been bad, and she kind of likes it.  (Probably because I don't have a daughter!)

The song is off of a holiday album of the Jimmies called "Mama Said Nog You Out" which features lots of traditional and untraditional holiday tunes.

Enjoy it, and Happy Holidays everybody!)

Find more versions of the song on Amazon.