Composer

:

Tom Lehrer

Genre

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Miscellaneous

Style

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Miscellaneous

Average_duration

:

2:00

"A Christmas Carol" is a satirical song composed by Tom Lehrer, an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and mathematician. The song was first performed in 1954 and has since become a popular Christmas classic. The song is divided into three movements, each of which satirizes a different aspect of Christmas. The first movement, "Scrooge," is a parody of the classic Charles Dickens novel, "A Christmas Carol." In this movement, Lehrer sings about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his disdain for the holiday season. The lyrics are humorous and poke fun at Scrooge's miserliness, with lines like "Scrooge was a miser, a tight-fisted wretch, he hated the season, wholeheartedly, with a passion unmatched." The second movement, "The Christmas Season," is a commentary on the commercialization of Christmas. Lehrer sings about the pressure to buy gifts and the stress of the holiday season. The lyrics are biting and sarcastic, with lines like "It's the time when the greedy give a dime to the needy, but the needy don't get the dime." The final movement, "Hanukkah in Santa Monica," is a humorous take on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. In this movement, Lehrer sings about the difficulties of celebrating Hanukkah in a city where Christmas is the dominant holiday. The lyrics are clever and witty, with lines like "I'm spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica, wearing sandals, lighting candles by the sea." Overall, "A Christmas Carol" is a clever and humorous take on the holiday season. Lehrer's satirical lyrics and catchy melodies have made the song a beloved classic that is still enjoyed by audiences today.

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