  | Saturday night will usher in 2017. A year that in order to be successful must simply avoid nuclear fallout. The New Year is the night everyone is expected to find a partner to kiss at midnight. It's the concept behind one of the enduring songs in the Christmas catalogue. “What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?” is a holiday song that expouses the sentiment of asking the one they love if they'll be their date on New Year's Eve. It's a song that need not relegate itself to December, take the line “maybe it's much too early in the game”. Is the first of January too early to ask for someone's lips on New Year's Eve? I say there's nothing wrong with preperation. Prepare ahead for failure. |
Like all great Christmas songs, there's a touch of melancholy to the song. The narrator wants love, but they realize how unlikely it is. The song was written in 1947 and follows the grand tradition of bitter sadness that “I'll Be Home For Christmas” and “Blue Christmas” settle on.
The song (like all) great Christmas music has been covered by numerous versions. You have the classic covers. The Orioles, Nancy Wilson, etc. Along with modern interpretations from Idina Menzel, Kacey Musgraves, Zooey Deschanel all run the gamut of tradition. My personal favorite is the version eschewed by Bette Midler on her 2006 album Cool Yule.
RSS Feed
