Lyrics

I'll have a blue Christmas without you 
I'll be so blue just thinking about you 

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree 
Won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me 
And when those blue snowflakes start falling 
That's when those blue memories start calling 

You'll be doing alright 
With your Christmas of white 
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas 

You'll be doing alright 
With your Christmas of white 
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas 

< A very tentative transcription, because the poor long-suffering annotator is confronted by a vocal performance which is an unholy mess of slurring and yelping. Just send money. >

You'll have a blue Christmas without me ... 
[incoherent]

You'll be doing alright 
In your Christmas of white
[incoherent]

And when the blue snowflakes start falling 
[incoherent]

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
It's not the same dear, when you're not here with me 

And when the blue snowflakes start falling 
[incoherent]

You'll be doing alright
In your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas

[incoherent]

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
It's not the same dear, when you're not here with me

When those blue snowflakes start falling
[incoherent]

You'll be doing alright
In your Christmas of white
I'll have a blue Christmas without you

Commentary

Elvis Presley’s version is the one most people will know, but “Blue Christmas” was originally recorded by the American country singer Doye O’Dell in 1948 (and covered several times subsequently). Elvis’ version is not lyrically identical to the original. There are also lyrical differences between the original, Elvis’ version, and other versions such as those by Johnny Cash (1963) and Dean Martin (1966). It’s a safe assumption that The Fall were covering Elvis’s version, but without being able to decipher the full lyric it is hard to be 100% sure.

Elvis first recorded “Blue Christmas” for his 1957 Elvis’ Christmas Album LP, and it was this version that was released as a single at Christmas in 1964, reaching #11 in the UK charts (see Official Charts). It didn’t chart at the time in the U.S.

Personally I’m very fond of Mary’s Margaret O’Hara‘s version of the song, which was released on her Christmas E.P. in 1991, but in the context of The Fall, the most notable cover version is the one by Shakin’ Stevens. It appeared on his four-track Special Edition EP (better known as The Shakin’ Stevens EP), released on 3 December 1982, and as the lead track on a two-track single released at around the same time. It reached #2 in the UK singles chart over Christmas that year (see the Official Charts entry). Shakin’ Stevens’ version is obviously based on Elvis’.

M.E.S. inserted a comment on Shakin’ Stevens’ effort in the song “Ludd Gang” (the b-side of the “The Man Whose Head Expanded” single, 1983):

I hate the guts of Shakin' Stevens for what he has done
The massacre of "Blue Christmas", on him I'd like to land one on 

Despite this hostility, Shakin’ Stevens’ version of “Blue Christmas” had a second lease of life as the second track on the 12″ version of Stevens’ single “Merry Christmas Everyone“, which reached #1 in the UK singles chart (see the Official Charts entry) over Christmas and New Year 1985 – 1986.

The Fall performed “Blue Christmas” just once that we know of: at the Laugh Inn, Chester, on 28 November 2011 (the last gig of the year). The group on that occasion were Keiron Melling, Eleni Poulou, Tim Presley, Mark E. Smith, and Dave Spurr. Tim Presley was standing in for guitarist Peter Greenway, who was absent on paternity leave for the string of dates through November 2011, returning to the group when gigging resumed in February 2012. No studio recordings have emerged and the sole live version (available as a bootleg audience recording) has never had a licensed release. See also “Werewolves of London“, a cover of a Warren Zevon song that was performed just once on the first date of the same November 2011 tour. Since the two covers begin and end the tour, during Tim Presley’s locum service, perhaps they have something to do with his being there – requested by or of him.

Anyone who has heard the Laugh Inn rendition will appreciate the irony of Mark E. Smith’s swipe at Shakin’ Stevens in “Ludd Gang”. It’s frankly sloppy, and Eleni’s backing vocals come over as parodic, but it is not unentertaining in its way. Graham Duff, who was at the gig as part of a comedy-quiz support act, emphasises that the performance was completely unironic, “with Mark delivering the lyric with mournful sincerity.” (Smith and Duff, 2021). Steve Pringle (2022), however, is having none of it: “catastrophically tuneless” is his assessment (p.479).

Tommy Mackay (2018, p.237) positions the Laugh Inn performance as an example of the group’s “annual tradition of playing a Christmas song.” But if you examine the gigographies, it’s not really much of a tradition at all: it was far more common for there not to be a Christmas song. By my count, it only happened six times. And on four of those six occasions, the song was “No Xmas for John Quays” (I’m not counting the 1978-1981 period when it was regularly on setlists in any case), which isn’t really what most people would think of as a “Christmas song”. So in fact, “Blue Christmas” is one of only two Christmas-themed cover versions documented to have been played live at Christmas or during the long run up to Christmas.

Here’s my list of the other “Christmas songs”:

• “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” (Volksbuehne, Berlin: 24 December 1996. The only documented live performance of this song.)
• “No Xmas for John Quays” (Witchwood, Ashton: 22 December 1999. Not played on any other occasion that year.)
• “No Xmas for John Quays” (The Galtymore, Cricklewood, London: 30 November 2007. Not played on any other occasion that year.)
• “No Xmas for John Quays” (Picturedrome, Holmfirth: 29 November 2008. Not played on any other occasion that year.)
• “No Xmas for John Quays” (Brudenell Social Club, Leeds: 28 November 2014. Not played on any other occasion that year.)