A few days ago, I almost posted my thoughts on this song as one of my "A petty fixation" screeds. In the spirit of Christmas, however, I decided to reconfigure the post under the kinder "Reconsidered merit" banner: That said, I've never been a fan of Elton John's "Step Into Christmas." Admittedly, it's not essential or even advisable for all lyrics to be cerebral. In "Step Into Christmas"'s case, however, there just isn't a lot there. When KEZK played it a few days ago, I reacted only slightly less negatively than I did to Wham's "Last Christmas."
It isn't reasonable to expect a lighthearted Christmas song to sound like John's most poignant album tracks, such as "Funeral For A Friend," "Come Down In Time," or "Where To Now, St. Peter?" Still, I grit my teeth whenever I hear the opening verse, "Welcome to my Christmas song..." To me, that's a hallmark of a song that sounds like it was written in five minutes.
I imagine that most listeners who like the tune are drawn in by its energy and its rhythm, which doesn't leave one's mind easily. In that light, I can understand the tune's popularity a little more easily--but I still won't seek it out.
