Is the acapella version of “Caravan of Love” by The Housemartins a Christmas song?

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Originally published at: Is the acapella version of "Caravan of Love" by The Housemartins a Christmas song? | Boing Boing

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I would argue that this one is a “Christmas-ish song”. There are a number of tracks like this that were hits around this time of year and have become associated with it, despite not having much of a yuletide theme to their lyrics.

Other entries in this genre would include the Pet shop Boys cover of “always on my mind” and “only you” (either the Yazoo version or the Flying Pickets cover)

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Why would an acapella cover have a different status as Christmas song than the original? Seems pretty appropriation.

The Isley Jasper Isley album cover has a very 3 wise men in the holy land vibe and the song topped the R&B charts for the 1st 3 weeks of December, so seems like a holiday release was purposeful

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Man, this if friggin’ lovely. What a band; Paul Heaton AND Norman Cook.

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And “Killing in the Name Of” by Rage Against The Machine; #1 in the UK for Christmas 2009.

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I don’t know if it’s a Christmas song or not all I know is that it’s an abomination to the lovely original version. good lord.

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The original seems less Christmas and more “we are all one brotherhood of people” and refers to problems in Africa. The Housemartins definitely has a more Christmas “sound” as if it were at least somewhat intended that way

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I would ask Pentatonix this question, since they put a version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” on a Christmas album.

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Nope. Not Christmasy at all.

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That’s pretty funny. One of those “um… you didn’t listen to the lyriics, did you?” things for sure.

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Pretty sure it was holy land violence they were referring to, “birthplace of civilization” not hominids. For that matter, I’m not sure the fossil evidence of human coming from the rift valley had been found when the song came out.

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Yeah, due to a kick-back against yet another contrived Christmas song by one of the ‘let’s make a new money-spinner, sorry pop-sensation for the next twelve months’ programmes that infested television over here. Sadly, the full-fat version never got played. Unsurprisingly.

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