Buttkickin’ Holiday Songs: “Last Man At The Party” — Jethro Tull (2003)

blgjethtullxmasWell the Holiday Season is in full swing, isn’t it? People are still digesting their Thanksgiving dinners nearly a week later, legions of American consumers with peace and love and good cheer in their hearts are butchering their fellow citizens like pigs at the slaughter at Black Friday events all over the country, and DVRs are being programmed by the thousands to record the usual litany of holiday specials and Christmas movies.

And you know what, for my money Christmas isn’t Christmas without watching the 1942 classic The Man Who Came To Dinner with Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, and the absolutely incomparable Monty Woolley. I’m totally serious about this. If you’ve never seen The Man Who Came To Dinner, check Turner Classic Movies or Netflix or wherever you watch/stream/steal movies from and see it this holiday season. If you don’t love it I’ll buy you a drink. If you do love it, I’ll buy you a drink! Just watch the damn thing…

Anyway, that’s so not why we’re here today. As per our annual Hokeyblog tradition, we present a host of Buttkickin’ Holiday Songs guaranteed to set your Christmas / Hanukkah / Festivus / Winter Solstice / Whatever season on fire with some great tunes and good cheer. And since last year we started our tradition with this artist, I figured I’d do the same by featuring the incomparable Jethro Tull and their 2003 Christmas album tune Last Man At The Party. This song is just dripping with holiday festivity, from the stumbling drunks to happy cousins and wine and curried goat, setting a scene of a very tailored Christmas party but one to which perhaps anyone can relate.

It’s also upbeat, melodic, and great fun, with Ian Anderson’s signature flute underlying the tune, accompanied by bells, acoustic guitars, mandolins, and possibly a concertina or two. This is holiday music with a strong rustic feel; you can feel the warmth of the home fires brushing your cheeks. Fun stuff, indeed.

So make yourselves jolly under mistletoe, holly and ivy.
Get to it – and be in good cheer!
And when it’s all over… pigs gone to clover –
Will the last man at the party wish me a happy New Year?

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