It’s November 1st. You’re walking through your favorite clothing store or supermarket, not paying much attention to the music playing on the overhead speakers. You’re minding your own business, when suddenly, you hear an unmistakable melody above you. You hear the high pitched bell chimes, followed by the strike of the first chord. Then the vocals kick in, and you sigh a bit, saying to yourself,
“…it’s that time of the year again.”
The wait is over. You’re listening to “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey.
That’s right folks, get ready to hear this beat everywhere you go from Macy’s to Publix to Walmart. One of Mariah’s most popular songs, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is instantly recognizable and practically inescapable from the months of November to January. But what’s the history of this haunting melody? Let’s take a look at the life of this iconic song.
Released in October (yes, October) of 1994, the song was the first single from Mariah’s “Merry Christmas” album. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was an instant hit, breaking records and making history. To compose the song, Mariah took inspiration from gospel and R&B music, which she listened to often. As for the lyrics, they came straight from her love of Christmas and Christmas music. The song almost instantly topped the Billboard charts, returning to its #1 spot every holiday season.
As for the timing of this song playing everywhere by November, people have inferred that Mariah simply can’t wait until Christmas. To most people, November has always felt like the point where their Christmas decorations have to be up to distract them from the almost two-month-long wait for the holiday. Christmas music in general makes the wait go by a bit faster, and with a song as festive and cheery as Mariah’s, it really helps people get in that festive mood.
With the cheery melody and beat, the instrumentals alone are enough to make you feel like it’s Christmastime, but the lyrics are what really make this song what it is; a classic Christmas tune. If you look at the lyrics of most Christmas songs (i.e. “Last Christmas,” “Let it Snow,” “Sleigh Ride,” etc.), it’s not hard to recognize the theme of romance being woven into most holiday classics. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is no exception, with the lyrics (written by Mariah herself and Walter Afanasieff) longing to be with someone for Christmas, even if it’s all they get that year. This choice of lyrics keeps to the theme of combining two of everyone’s favorite things: romance and Christmas. While most songs are a bit subtle with this theme, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is a lot more direct with its wording, making this a sincere and jolly love song.
Overall, love it or hate it, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has officially become a timeless Christmas classic. If I had to make a wild guess, I think it’ll keep playing in stores and such by January, so strap in and hold on tight, because you’re not gonna stop hearing this catchy tune anytime soon.
