The Music of Christmas – Day 15: “Elf’s Lament”

“Elf’s Lament”
By Barenaked Ladies with Michael Bublé

The second entry on this list from “Barenaked for the Holidays” “Elf’s Lament” is the story about how maybe Santa isn’t the jolly old elf we think he is. Maybe that’s just a facade he puts on for the malls and TV and all the PR stunts.

No, Santa is actually a horrible employer of all the elves. They work hard to get all the presents ready for Christmas, and he exploits them for it.  He takes the credit, they take abuse, and work conditions are awful.

At least that’s the viewpoint of one elf who is the main character of this song. Sung from his viewpoint, “Elf’s Lament” describes the woe of the season but also gives hope for his fellow elves as they plan to unionize and go in strike.

It’s a very progressive holiday song when you think about it.

Like many Barenaked Ladies songs, this is extremely humorous, but hidden in the humor are some serious thoughts about labor and the ruling class. One could make an argument that this song is a metaphor for how commercialism has turned all of the workers at the factories and shops into mindless drones who deal with horrid work environments and bad management.

Or it could just be a funny idea and gives Ed the chance to use the phrase “fat man” twice in one song.

Backing up BNL is Michael Bublé, the Canadian singer who would soon go on to break through on his own in America. His voice is a welcome addition to BNL’s harmonies, and the voices of Steve, Ed, and Michael complement each other nicely.

I also love the word structure of this song. Rhymes occur in different cadences and patterns than a usual song, and the syllable rhythm over the musical progression lead to nice tension and resolution.

This may be my favorite song on the album. It’s become a holiday musical tradition for sixteen years, and I don’t see it leaving the playlist any time soon.

Tomorrow – the Bono part.