on the first day of christmas

Keep it simple. It’s hard to believe that a band could build an entire career on the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. Or in The Ramones case, “One-Chew-Tree-Faw!”, their famous intro to almost each one of their songs. I say almost, as this rallying cry is absent to their Christmas song. Yet, that in itself is an oddity. The Ramones? Christmas? Didn’t they sing, “They KKK Took My Baby Away” and “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Teenage Lobotomy” and “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” and…you get the picture. Yet here they are having a go at Christmas. And it’s very good. Now most years, a CD is released of punk or metal covers of Christmas songs. Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper, KoRn, Austrian Death Machine (yes, such a band exists) and others shred through an assortment of carols. It’s funny for about a song. Thankfully, The Ramones don’t mock but have a go at writing a Christmas song. And in true Ramones style, it’s simple structure is catchy, clever and over in two minutes. ...