When it comes to an Australian Christmas, Paul Kelly wrote the defining festive anthem – nobody’s questioning that.
But when December 21st is over, and you’ve added that dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and that extra tang, maybe you fancy listening to something else.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. To get you in the mood for another sweaty Christmas, we’ve selected four other wonderful festive songs by Aussie artists as you prepare for Sunday.
Stella Donnelly – ‘Season’s Greetings’
You know how getting together with the extended family at Christmas usually goes – lots of silly quibbles mixed with a lot of love. Indie pop star Donnelly captures the stress of the festive season so well: “If the gravy tasted great / Why did you pour it all away? / You like to intimidate,” she sings and she sings it so sweetly that you almost miss the underlying passive aggressiveness. Christmas is messy – never forget it.
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Christine Anu – ‘Island Christmas’
There’s a reason Anu has been nominated for so many ARIA Awards over the years. Her voice carries this charming Christmas song beautifully. The Torres Strait Islander rejects the quintessential wintery image of the season with a joyous ode to “happy people” and “music and singing and dancing”. It’ll make you want to immediately hightail it out of the city in search of an island paradise.
John Williamson – ‘Christmas Photo’
Ah John, you beautiful man. The country icon made a song that’s just so Aussie. The folksy little ditty doesn’t hide its sweetness, discussing the herculean task of rallying the whole family to get a Christmas photo. “Say cheese!”
Cold Chisel – ‘Home and Broken Hearted’
It’s a legal requirement to have a Cold Chisel song in any Aussie song countdown. I think. Lucky then that they have a cracking Christmas song in their repertoire. Jimmy Barnes delivers the solemn lyrics with his usual aplomb. If you’re driving home in a mad rush to make Christmas Day this year, get this classic blasting in the car.
