"Given his ain't-life-somethin' reputation, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Denver didn't write "Please, Daddy…" himself. But the original songwriters weren't known for their pitch-black social realism either. The song is credited to Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, the then-married couple best known for fronting The Starland Vocal Band and penning the group's massive, nitrous-happy ode to daytime sex, "Afternoon Delight." It was Danoff and Nivert who first came up with "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and, after deciding not to sell the song on to Johnny Cash, finished it with Denver.
And why did Denver record "Please, Daddy..." in the first place? He didn't seem to hate the holidays. Rocky Mountain Christmas is an almost nauseatingly family-friendly record, comprised mostly of standards like "Silent Night" and "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer." There's an earnest, adult-contemporary version of "Jingle Bells" towards the end. On the record, "Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)" is sandwiched between "Silver Bells" and a more twinkly and romantic Denver original called "Christmas for Cowboys." Denver even starred in a Muppets TV special called A Christmas Together at the peak of his fame in 1979, and, because the internet isn't always all bad, the whole thing's been preserved on YouTube. This guy didn't just enjoy the holiday—he loved it enough to look adoringly at Fozzie Bear when he messed up his lines in "The 12 Days of Christmas."
There's no real answer here, no obvious reason why Denver decided to point to a broken home on this, a song he didn't write. There is, at least, a slightly less incongruous recording of the track languishing in his back catalog. The first-ever version was made for his 1973 LP, Farewell Andromeda. It's still locked into major chords, and the group chant in the chorus sounds more like a Christmas Eve singalong than a plea for a happy home. But the yodelling has disappeared and, using only acoustic instruments, Denver gets at a morsel of the anguish in the lyrics.
This one's slightly more reassuring than the Rocky Mountain Christmas recording and all of its dissonance between lyric and melody. Just don't play it at parties."
I haven't listened to any Christmans music so far this year except when I played some at a dinner and yesterday had my hair cut and they had Siruis Radio "Soujlful Christmas" channel on. Not bad and at least different !
I haven't listened to any Christmans music so far this year except when I played some at a dinner and yesterday had my hair cut and they had Siruis Radio "Soujlful Christmas" channel on. Not bad and at least different !
Re: Worst Christmas songs ever? - 12/24/1907:25 AM
Wrong again Dave... My real name is Domenico and this is my favorite song baby.... I perform it all the time..... if you knew the true meaning of Christmas in Italy you possibly would understand it.
Re: Worst Christmas songs ever? - 12/24/1907:43 AM
Well, an opinion can't be wrong, but sorry if I poo poo'd on your favorite song. I'm quite sure I know the true meaning of Christmas, and I've never been to Italy. Enjoy your namesake ... I don't even have a song with my name in it.
Re: Worst Christmas songs ever? - 12/28/1909:58 AM
Originally Posted By Dnj
Wrong again Dave... My real name is Domenico and this is my favorite song baby.... I perform it all the time..... if you knew the true meaning of Christmas in Italy you possibly would understand it.
I didn't know you are Italian Donny! So am I also! Domenico è un bel nome, in realtà uno dei miei artisti italiani preferiti si chiama Domenico Modugno!