You love it or hate it! The unforgettable „Last Christmas” by Wham!
There are not so many songs that stick with us like “Last Christmas” by Wham!
Radio stations and tv programs push this classic to the edge by playing it non-stop, especially during the winter season. So how could we forget about it?
The song was released in 1984 (album: “Music From The Edge Of Heaven”).
It was written and produced by George Michael. The song ended by being one of George Michael greatest hits, having multiple! covers (among others: Coldplay, Kim Wilde, Jimmy Eat World, Kylie Minogue, and Taylor Swift).
Amazing success taking into account that the song didn't even chart on the US Hot 100 after its initial release in 1984!
Fun fact – did you know that the song was written by Michael in his childhood bedroom, while Andrew Ridgeley (the second half of Wham! duo), was downstairs watching television? This room has its history, as this is where they had spent hours as kids recording pastiches of radio shows and jingles.
Charity for Ethiopia
Wham! donated all of their "Last Christmas" royalties to the Ethiopian famine cause, the worst famine in Ethiopia in a century! It is worth mentioning that this cause united many other artists as Bob Geldof organised the charity supergroup Band Aid (starring George Michael obviously) . Its single, "Do They Know It's Christmas?", was released on December 1984 and soon became Britain's best-selling single!
But should it be a Christmas standard??
Not really;) as the song is yet another love song, that talks about a man’s first Christmas after a break up. Despite this, it has become an annual Christmas classic known and, most importantly, sang throughout the world!
I must be sincere and admit that it is not my favourite George's song.
Nevertheless, when I hear it, it makes me feel somehow cozy or, on the contrary, melancholic. Like a teenager, I am aware! ;) I particularly like this part:
“now I know what a fool I’ve been, but if you kissed me now, I know you’d fool me again”
This few words captures the way defiance masks hope. And, frankly, shows how vulnerable we are when it comes to love and desire. How easily we forgive. It’s hard to disagree with George, isn’t?
2017 Christmas Number One?
“White Christmas” is known as the best-selling single to never reach the top of the UK charts. In 2017, a fan campaign returned the song to the charts. The purpose? To make the song number one on the anniversary of the death of George, who passed away in the early hours of Christmas day in 2016. Unfortunately for George’s fans, it is Ed Sheeran who won this year's Christmas Number One, for the first time , with his song “Perfect”.
So all together (and don’t pretend you don’t know how the music goes ;P):
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
Now a few questions to you my friends.
• What is your favourite Christmas standard?
• Do you get boring of those songs or, on the contrary, they awake the Christmas mood in you?
Cheers,
kasia