The Christmas Shoes (song)

"The Christmas Shoes"
Single by NewSong
from the album Sheltering Tree
Released 2000
Recorded 1999 - 2000
Genre
Length 4:50
Label Benson
Writer(s) Leonard Ahlstrom, Eddie Carswell

"The Christmas Shoes" is a Christmas-themed song by the Christian vocal group NewSong. The song was released through Benson Records as a bonus track on their 2000 album Sheltering Tree,[1] and it reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[2] "The Christmas Shoes" spent one week at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 42 on the Hot 100 chart.[3] It was written by Eddie Carswell and Leonard Ahlstrom.[1]

The song is apparently based on an email chain letter passed around in the 90's called "The Golden Slippers."[4][5]

Content

The song recounts the events experienced by a narrator completing the last of his gift-shopping on Christmas Eve.

In the checkout aisle, a young boy is ahead of him, wishing to purchase a pair of expensive shoes for his terminally ill mother, explaining to the cashier that he hasn't much time remaining before she finally succumbs to the undisclosed illness and that he wants her to appear presentable before Jesus. However, he lacks enough money to pay for the shoes.

The narrator ends up paying for the shoes, to the boy's delight.

The song closes on the note that the experience has permanently changed the narrator, reflecting on the true meaning of the Christmas season.

Cover versions and other media

A year after NewSong's version, country music girl group 3 of Hearts released their own version, which peaked at No. 39 on the country chart.[6]

In 2002, Donna VanLiere produced a novelization of the song which was published in 2002 by St. Martin's Press. The book became a made-for-TV movie released in December 2002.

Pop-punk band FM Static released a cover of this song in 2008.

Criticism

The song has appeared on various "worst Christmas song" lists.[7][8][9][10][11] In 2011, the song was named "The Worst Christmas Song Ever" by Jezebel.com, following a weeks-long survey of commenter votes.<ref name=We've Found the Worst Christmas Song Ever>"We've Found The Worst Christmas Song Ever". Jezebel.com. 2011-12-21. Retrieved 2013-12-12.</ref>

In November 29, 2010, stand up comedian Patton Oswalt did a part of his set highlighting how the song could be considered sadistic.

In December 24, 2008, internet critic Nostalgia Chick named this song the most disturbing and inescapable Christmas song.[12] Three years later, she wrote a review of the TV movie.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "NEWSONG". cbs.com. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 298. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
  3. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 180.
  4. ↑ "RootsWeb: GEN-NEWBIE-L The Golden Slippers". Archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com. 1998-12-14. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
  5. ↑ "1997 Stories, Poems, Jokes". Louisvilleemmaus.com. 1997-12-03. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
  6. ↑ Whitburn 2008, p. 419
  7. ↑ Gael Fashingbauer Cooper (December 17, 2012). "Is 'Christmas Shoes' the worst holiday song ever?". Today. NBC. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  8. ↑ Shalini Roy (December 11, 2012). "Worst Christmas songs: The 10 most annoying holiday hits". Toronto City News. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  9. ↑ Greg Janda (December 3, 2012). "Sounds of the Season: Five Terrible Holiday Songs". Channel 5 (NBC), Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  10. ↑ Moose (December 2012). "#3 of the 25 Worst Christmas Songs...Ever". 96.3 JACK-FM (Nashville). Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  11. ↑ Jeremiah-Tucker (December 17, 2009). "'Christmas Shoes' is the worst holiday song". Joplin (Missouri) Globe. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Top 10 Disturbing and Inescapable Christmas Songs". Thatguywiththeglasses.com. 2008-12-24. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
  13. ↑ "The Christmas Shoes". Thatguywiththeglasses.com. 2011-12-10. Retrieved 2012-12-09.