Call me Ishmael, or even Ebenezer, but the Christmas spirit has yet to worm its festive little way into my heart this year. I think I’ve given it a fair shot, though. My tree is decorated and standing…when it chooses to. Stockings are hung by my chimney with care—a bit more care after accidentally finding out how flammable footwear is and nearly having to call the fire department. And I’ve already far exceeded my budget for gifts this year, which means I might be ringing in the new year from a highway underpass after my landlord slips an eviction notice under my tree.

So, I think anyone would agree that I’ve tried to get into the holiday mood, but it just hasn’t happened. Maybe I’m too hard on myself. It’s early still, and maybe we aren’t supposed to have twenty-five days of Christmas like television tells me. Still, I’m forming a contingency plan just in case that Christmas cheer never arrives, and for that, I’ll need to replace my usual Christmas carols with something more appropriate. No, I’m not in need of Bing Crosby or Burl Ives this Christmas. This year my yuletide anthem is all about the most depressing thought of all: working on Christmas.

Harvey Danger recorded and mixed “Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)” in 1998, right before their well-documented descent into corporate record label hell. (Chipper yet?) The song and accompanying video are about a poor s.o.b. who has to open up a movie house for “patrons who have no better place to be” on Christmas day. Aided by vodka sno-cones, the employee tries to make the best of things, which only sets him up for greater embarrassment and letdown.

This is holiday humdrum and gloom at its best delivered up by Sean Nelson and Co., and given the state of today’s economy, this could very well be how several of you are spending your Christmas. If so, hopefully this song helps you soldier through a day of tedium and dealing with those who have the Christmas spirit.

And if anyone tells you to play something more Christmasy, tell them to fuck off, and crank the music louder. Besides, this song has sleigh bells. What more do you festive folks want?

“Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)”

Categories: News, Ridiculously Awesome Music Videos
Tags: Harvey Danger