As hosts for Song Talk Radio’s 2015 Holiday Show, we were challenged to write a 60-second Christmas song in the days leading up to the show.  I decided that in order to get a song done quickly, it would have to be rap/spoken word and I’d need to come up with lyrics first.  I started with the internally rhyming title Blissless Christmas, and wrote 4 verses with an AABB rhyme structure.  I recorded a quick demo on my phone.

A couple of days later, I started on the music. The first thing was to develop the two beats, knowing the structure would be 3 verses of half-time beats, and the final verse at full speed (150 bpm in this case).  This would be reflected in the lyrical shift from cynicism to optimism.  I kept the instrumentation simple with piano, strings, horns, and bass, and used many 9th and 7th chords to give the music bed a more R&B or soul flavour.

I also did a quick video for the final track.   Enjoy!

Blissless Christmas
Why all the sadness?
Don’t have a reason
For blingin’ the season

Blissless Christmas
Yuletide forgiveness
Feed all the children
Canadian and Syrian

Blissless Christmas
Consumerism hits us
After Hallow’s Eve
The pockets, they bleed

Christmas Blissness
Hugs and kisses
Under the mistletoe
Reindeer sleigh go!