November—the month during which candy corn becomes candy canes, the pumpkins turn, not into enchanted carriages, but into sleighs, and bites from vampires are replaced with kisses under the mistletoe. Consumers running away from zombies race right into the Target checkout line on Black Friday. Every year, one poor holiday is neglected and overlooked.
Thanksgiving in the United States has become a mere stepping stone used to reach the “real” holiday season. It is practically just a pre-December celebration without even getting 24 whole hours to itself as thousands of people prepare for Black Friday before Thanksgiving has even one foot out of the door.
In an attempt to reverse this trend, there are many songs that can assist in celebrating the true meaning of Thanksgiving and in giving thanks for all of the “little” things.
-Although his musical endeavors are most known for “The Channukah Song,” Adam Sandler also created “The Thanksgiving Song.” As zany as expected, “The Thanksgiving Song” pays an ode to the delicious holiday with lines like “gobble gobble goo and gobble gobble giggle, I wish turkey only cost a nickel.”
-Get the grandparents groovin’ with Sam and Dave’s 1968 hit, “I Thank You.”
-“Thankful,” the title-track from Kelly Clarkson’s 2003 debut album, expresses her thanks to those close to her and to her supporters.
-Is a holiday really a holiday without the Peanuts gang? Check out “Peanuts Thanksgiving Theme” by Guaraldi Trio from ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.’
-Rapping his appreciation for hip-hop, Jay Z uses “Thank You” as his greeting card of gratitude.
-Macy Gray’s upbeat ‘Beauty in the World’ is sure to get listeners dancing around the dinner table as well as appreciating small tokens of beauty.
-Show loved ones some appreciation with …a Led Zeppelin song? “Thank You” is one of the group’s more poignant songs of reflection.
-Encouraging others to be thankful, Bob Marley sings “Give Thanks and Praises,” a spiritual tribute song.
-Add some southern twang to Thanksgiving with Green on Red’s “Little Things in Life.”
-Dido’s sweet-sounding “Thank You” understatedly reminds listeners that life “is not so bad.”
-The Redwalls channel the Beatles in their song called, again, “Thank You.”
-Pianist extraordinaire George Winston sets a calming tone in his instrumental piece, “Thanksgiving.”
-New Buffalo, the former alias of Australian singer Sally Seltmann, pays tribute to the little things like wildflowers and dancing in her bubbly song “Cheer Me Up Thank You.”
-Finally, Earth, Wind, and Fire ‘got plenty love’ for listeners with the song “Gratitude.”
So before Black Friday rears its chaos-filled head, and everyone begins preparing for Santa’s long-awaited visit, listen to these songs as appreciative reminders of life’s blessings this Thanksgiving.
Carol Fritz is a third-year student majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at CF716022@wcupa.edu.