This song shares a title with a very fun and festival song by Johnny and June Carter Cash, but the similarities end there. Rick Springfield’s 2007 holiday album definitely skews toward the melancholy side of the season; the narrator is not with the “you” in the title, and, therefore, Christmas “seems so far away.” (The premise of the song sounds even sadder when you know that Springfield donated the proceeds from the song to American Gold Star Mothers.)
But as I’ve said during these countdowns before, sad songs should be part of Christmastime, too. And the album isn’t all downbeat; as All Music Guide noted, the album emphasizes the folk roots of many well-known Christmas songs. These are versatile songs sung and played by a performer who is more versatile than classic radio would have us believe! So go ahead and shed a few tears while you sing along.
