Last Christmas by Wham! has been in my face a lot this year because it's the favorite (English language?) Christmas song in Poland, which has given me a lot to wonder about.
First, why would this song be anyone's favorite Christmas song, much less the favorite Christmas song of an entire country!!?? Certainly the video shows George Michael at his most blond-with-dark-roots twink-a-deliciousness, but it's not a happy, holly, jolly tale. It's at best the story of a guy who is still incredibly sad at the way he was treated by this bitch (or guy), and more likely he has moved from sad to bitter and angry -- which is a darker and infinitely less healthy place to be 12 whole months later. Not happy, which is what society expects Christmas to be.
Second, I'm not really sure if I understand the lyrics. Not that they're a mire of deeply symbolic references, certainly not that! But he repeatedly tells us, "This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it (my heart) to someone special" -- except at the very end, when he says "Maybe next year I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone special". Sooooo, is he acknowledging that he is still carrying the proverbial torch, that he still loves this heart breaker? And does he tell this only to US, or does he admit this to the bitch too?
Next, even after 35 freakin’ years, whenever I hear "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, But the very next day," my mind finishes it with "you tore it apart"... I mean, the power of rhyming Heart and Apart overrides the thousands of times I've heard the song. And the rhyme actually found in the song -- "the very next day you gave it away" -- seems so infantile and weak — like American Budweiser.
But anyway, it is indeed the favorite Christmas song of Poland, and to celebrate this a radio station is staging an event in Krakow to set a Guiness Book Record of the most people singing this song at the same time.
It's happening Dec 23 -- the day I arrive in Krakow for my holiday -- but sadly many hours before I can get there. I would have loved to be part of this -- even if I'm not in agreement with it being the best Christmas song evah!
And yes, I really do have lots of time for thinking in Poland.