Sony Music Entertainment
The holidays are back, and with them come the inevitable festive songs. Yet not everyone is feeling so chipper. While a “Blue Christmas” might be construed by some as an expression of great relief over the outcome of last month’s election, who can deny that one of Elvis Presley’s most cherished hits expresses no such jubilation, only an absence?
As an article on webmd.com notes, “this time of year may trigger a bout of the blues or perhaps ignite a depression that has been smoldering under the surface for months.”
And so it is that the irony and poignancy of “Blue Christmas” has touched a collective nerve for 63 years now. Indeed, the song has been one of the King’s biggest hits, and the collection from which it’s drawn, Elvis’ Christmas Album, has joined the rarefied ranks of records that the Recording Industry Association of America® (RIAA) has certified not as gold, not as platinum, but as diamond — reserved for records that have sold 10 million units or more.
In honor of such longevity, Sony Legacy has released the first official music video for the song. Created by MoSoMoS, a New York animation studio led by Mathew Amonson, the video follows the stories of three characters who can’t be with loved ones during this time of togetherness. Like the song, the video mixes the isolation and despondency of the lyrics with the inherent beauty of the music and Elvis’ voice. It’s a lovely diversion for those of us who may find that all the tidings of joy merely mark an empty chair or bed or home, with only memories of past joy, and a hope for better tomorrows, to sustain us.
Christmas is a Dish Best Served Blue: Elvis’ Song of Holiday Longing Lives