Anybody even remotely familiar with Robbie Robertson probably doesn’t think of him as a terribly cheerful or sentimental guy. His new Christmas carol, “Happy Holidays”, certainly does its job to reinforce that reputation.
The founding member of The Band released his overtly sarcastic take on the holiday season earlier this month in the form of a biting acoustic arrangement that evokes the Christmas spirit by warning children not to leave Santa too much milk and cookies or else “he won’t be able to get his fat ass down the chimney.” But while the song showcases Robertson as a lovable Christmas crank, Robertson is able to convey sincere Yuletide emotion with lines like “don’t let the children stay up too late/and teach them the things they ought to know/like how to give and don’t be greedy”—even if that line is immediately followed by “and never, ever eat the yellow snow.” Listen to Robbie Robertson’s “Happy Holidays” below.
Robbie Robertson – “Happy Holidays”
[Video: Robbie Robertson – Topic]
Robertson referred to the instant Christmas classic as “an irreverent take on the holiday tradition” in a press release. Continued Robertson, “We love Christmas and the holidays, it brings good cheer, and also stress and depression, so I wanted to do a song that celebrates both sides and have a little fun.” However you may feel about Robertson and his “Humbuggery, it is all for a good cause as he announced that all of the profits from the single will be donated to the American Indian College Fund.
“Happy Holidays” comes as the latest part in a string of recent activity by the reclusive classic rock legend. In September, he released Sinematic, his first solo album in since 2011, and just last weekend joined a star-studded lineup including Emmylou Harris, Warren Haynes, Margo Price, Lukas Nelson, and more in Nashville for the final performance on The Last Waltz Tour. With all of that, in addition to composing the music for Martin Scorsese‘s latest film, The Irishman, it appears Robertson has plenty of reasons to be cheerful this holiday season.