Tag: 8

Christmas Playlists 2025 on the Torg Stories Podcast

Spotify Christmas Playlist Waitresses Wham Ed Sheeran Elton John The Pogues NSYNC Drummer Boy Bieber Band Aid Ramones Paul McCartney

Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast! On this episode, Anne and I each selected eight holiday Christmas songs to share. We’re going to play you a little sample, share some of what we like, know or learned about the song, and then play a bit more before moving on to the next song. Anne, I really enjoyed putting this list together. What was your process? What was it like to put this list together?

Christmas Playlists Discussion Above and Spotify Playlist Below

Before we get going sharing our lists, are you listening to much Christmas music?

  1. For Watauga HS women’s basketball practices, we play it leading up to practice and through our initial skill work.
  2. To and from driving back and forth to Boone.
  3. Lifting weights.
  4. Megan plays it a lot in the kitchen when she’s cooking and cleaning. She plays it while decorating the house and wrapping presents.

Bill and Anne’s Combined Spotify Christmas Playlists 

  1. Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses 
  • Why? Tells a story about the start of a couple who see each other Christmas eve at the grocery store. 
  • Lyric: When what to my wondering eyes should appear, In the line is that guy I’ve been chasing all year. ‘Spending this one alone, ‘ he said. ‘Need a break, this year’s been crazy’. I said ‘Me too, but why are you. You mean you forgot cranberries too?’
  • Artist: Waitresses were a new wave post punk band from Akron, OH. Also sang “I know what Boys Like.” 
  • This song came out in 1981. 
  1. “Last Christmas” by Wham (Anne #1) 
  1. Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl
  • Lyric: They’ve got cars big as bars, they’ve got rivers of gold. But the wind goes right through you, it’s no place for the old.
  • The song is an Irish folk-style ballad and was written as a duet, with the Pogues’ singer MacGowan taking the role of the male character and MacColl playing the female character. It was originally released as a single on November 23, 1987. 
  • In the UK, “Fairytale of New York” is the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century.
  • The Pogues are an English Celtic punk band founded in King’s Cross, London, in 1982, by Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer. Originally named Pogue Mahone—an anglicisation of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning “kiss my arse”—the band fused Irish traditional music with punk rock influences.
  • Kirsty MacColl was killed in Cozemuel when she was diving and pushed her son out of the way of an oncoming speedboat. 
  1.  “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever” by Sufjan Stevens (Anne # 2) 
  1. Merry Christmas by Ed Sheeran and Elton John 
  • Lyric: So just keep kissing me under the mistletoe. Pour out the wine, let’s toast and pray for December snow. I know there’s been pain this year, but it’s time to let it go. Next year, you never know. But for now, Merry Christmas
  • Sheeran revealed that John asked him to do a song with him the previous year after the success of “Step into Christmas”. He also recalled writing the chorus of the song the same day he was asked by John.
  • Sheeran a 34 year old from Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. 
  • Elton John, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, in Pinner, England is 78. 
  1.  “Christmas Time is Here” by Vince Guaraldi Trio (Anne #3) 
  1. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays NSYNCH 
  • Lyric: (not a lyrically driven song – We’ve been waiting All year for this night And the snow is glistening on the trees outside. 
  • NSYNCH included Gary Coleman as an elf in the video, which Martin described as “a little tricky” to secure on board.[2] The classic sitcom Diff’rent Strokes is referenced when NSYNC ask “Whatchu talkin’ about, Gary?”, based on Coleman’s catchphrase; “Whatchu talkin’ about, Willis?”
  • NSYNCH, which had Justin Timberlake as a members, has a website where you can buy Home For Christmas merch including snow sweatpants, 25th anniversary stocking, and a t shirt. Click here. 
  • Timberlake from Memphis, TN.
  1. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love (Anne #4) 
  1. Drummer Boy by Justin Bieber and Busta Rhymes 
  • Lyric: Yo, at the table with the family, havin’ dinner. BlackBerry on our hip and then it gave a little flicker. Then I took a look to see before it activates the ringer. Came to realize my homie Bieber hit me on the Twitter
  • “Drummer Boy” was met with polarization and mystification from reviewers upon its release; critics called it a “a goofy modernized spin”, “confusing”, weird, and “as awkward as it sounds, but at least it’s different.”
  1. “Do They Know it’s Christmas” by Band Aid (Anne #5) 
  1. Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones 
  • Lyric: Where is Santa? At his sleigh? Tell me why is it always this way? Where is Rudolph? Where is Blitzen, baby? Merry Christmas, merry merry merry Christmas
  • The Ramones[a] were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974.
  • All members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname Ramone, although none were biologically related; they were inspired by Paul McCartney, who would check into hotels under the alias Paul Ramon.
  1. “Wonderful CHristmas Time” by Paul McCartney (Anne #6)  
  1. “I Wish It Was Christmas Today,” the SNL version as performed by Tracey Morgan, Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sands, and Chris Kattan 
  • I used to think this was written by Cheap Trick but they just covered it after Horatio Sands wrote it for SNL. 
  • Fallon said, “I’ve always had a keyboard from the ’80s in the office and had some pre-recorded drum beats and loops that you can play with different chords. So we were pretending ‘What if we were writing a really, a great pop song but dumb lyrics and that’s what we ended up doing. It was just a keyboard and that little guitar, and he (Horatio Sands) wrote all the lyrics.”
  • Click here for article in American Songwriter about the song. 
  1. “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by PLastic Ono Band / John Lennon & Yoko Ono (Anne #7)  
  1. Father Christmas by The Kinks
  • The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1962 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife.
  • Guitarist Dave Davies commented on the song, “I love the humor of it, and the aggression and bitterness. I could see the faces of my parents when Christmas came around. They had to struggle to make ends meet. We kind of got what we needed, but there was something fake about the holiday.” In live performances, singer Ray Davies would dress up in full Father Christmas attire.
  • Father Christmas, give us some money. Don’t mess around with those silly toys. We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over. We want your bread so don’t make us annoyed. Give all the toys to the little rich boys
  1. “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” by Elmo and Patsy (Anne #8) 
  • Bill recommend’s the Reel Big Fish version. 

Honorable Mention: 

  • Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen, Muntra Musikanter 
  • Christmas in Hollis by Run-DMC
  • “Holiday Road” the Zac Brown Band version 

Discussion at the end:

  1. Did I bring any new songs to you?
  2. What is your favorite of the ones I shared?
  3. Listeners, what would you have on your list?

Thanks for checking out this episode of our Spotify Christmas Playlists!

The Last Time We Danced, Worst Days, and the End of Consciousness from the Ted Lasso episode “Beard After Hours”

It’s the last time we danced, thoughts on the end of our consciousness, some of our worst days, and before it gets too somber, fields or courts we’d most like to mess around on for this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast. It’s all inspired by the Ted Lasso episode from season two, “Beard After Hours.”

Beard After Hours Summary and Discussion Questions:

  • This episode is so far from the plot that they actually show us the end of the previous episode where Beard is going to go out and blow off steam after the blowout loss to Manchester City.
  • What do you make of the full moon?
  • What are your London experiences?
  • The football pundits on television address Beard directly. What do you make of that?
  • Nice transition he slams down beer #1 and Mae sets down beer #2 in the pub. Beard told Jane he loved her and she did not say it back.
  • Jane texts beard to come find her. I don’t remember a show with more texting and phone screens in it than this.
  • The three football fans come over: Baz, Jeremy, and Paul. I thought you needed a hug. Anne, do you ever need a hug? They ask three questions: (1) Been to Vegas (2) What’s Ted like? (3) How do you cope knowing consciousness can end in a second? As Beard finishes his answer that it’s all a simulation, there are probably close to 20 beer glasses on the table. We’ll give him 6 and say he’s had 7 on the night.
  • What counts as a date for you? I go with Say Anything: pre-arrangement with a chance for love.
  • They go to Bones and Honey, evidently a reference to London’s Milk and Honey click here. They have kind of a Good Will Hunting scene like when Ben and Matt go to the bar near Harvard. If we were going to remix favorite scenes from TV and film and make a show episode, what would we do? Paul hilarious singing Cher: Would you believe they did such a thing? Why does Mae have all those clothes under the bar? They get in by telling the hostess her flat is on fire.
  • If you could be anywhere, where would you want to be?
  • Beard knows so much about Oxford that he convinces the men they meet they studies at Oxford.
  • Beard keeps making eye contact with a girl in a red dress. He says he learned about Oxford because he listens more than he talks. He does, right?!!!
  • Beard goes into a private room with old TVs in it. He’s drinking at least beer #8. All the TVs are showing the game, then the commentators come on and talk about him again. Beard is thrown out. The woman is out there in the alley. She offers to fix his trousers. She keeps people’s pants and says the rack of trousers is like her memoir. Beard is having trouble hanging on to his keys. Beard says, “In all my happiest memories, I’m single.” Is that love, or do I just have a problem? Woman’s man calls. He seems like a different iteration of Roy.
  • Beard jumps into a garbage bin. The man chases him. He gets on a bus. He has lost his wallet. The man at the hotel won’t let Beard use any phones.
  • Beard runs into Jamie Tartt’s dad and his buddies who have been drinking after the game. Mr. Tartt has a bandage on his eye from what beard did to him before. I had a lesson in fighting three people: try to just fight one at a time attacking to the side. LOL. Tartt picks up a pipe. Jeez. The red dress girl’s (Mary) man arrives and saves Beard.
  • Cheers. Should we start saying that? Or, you be lucky, yah? Beatles song.
  • Jane does love him. The three fans pull up in a limo.
  • Beard sends the guys somewhere and tells them to tell Renee that Beard said it is okay.
  • He brakes his key off in the door. It’s a longggg day. Reminds me of the time I saw the 76ers guard in Indy. Worst days you can remember…Maui, drive home from dad’s funeral
  • Beard prays about Jane. The people in the stain glass appear to be crying because of the rain. Does this episode say anything about love or relationships Turns out he’s in the club.
  • The fans go to the address. Where did you think they were? Have you been on important fields or courts? Market Square Arena, Madison Square Garden, Hinkle, Hoosier Gym. Beard has sent them to Nelson Road, home pitch of Richmond. Queen’s We are the Champions. If you could go onto a field or court, what would it be? I think golf at Augusta for me. Maybe 3v3 at MSG. Fenway.
  • Beards finds himself in a club and dances alone. Dances to “Hello” by Martin Solveig and Dragonette. Last time you danced? Have I danced since I got married 20 years ago? Jane is there! Beard hula hoops.
  • What’s your take on Jane and Beard? I feel happy for Jane and Beard at the end of this.
  • Beard brings the coffee to the coaches in the morning. Ted plays the video from the match over the music to Benny Hill.
  • #WeAreRichmond

NFL Conference Championships Discussion:

  • Washington vs. Philly
  • Buffalo vs. KC

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!