I work part time at a grocery store. Now that the Christmas season is in full swing the music heard is decidedly sentimental. My opinion about Christmas is ambivalent. I have many happy memories of Christmas but also a sense of loneliness when I reflect on who is lost and where I am. Hearing these same songs over and over, by different artists in different styles, got me wondering if there was some sort of subliminal message hidden in the familiar lyrics.
So I set out to expose a Christmas conspiracy. I was certain my conclusions would be published far and wide and I would become famous for my dark discovery. I started by retrieving all the lyrics for the top 51 Christmas songs and carols. I then analyzed word frequency. I quickly realized that some words were really not words so I removed all the "Fa la la la" and "rum pa pum pum" and the grand declarations of "oh". With the results safely pruned, the results were laid bare. The most frequently word sung across all these songs was - drum roll please - "Christmas". Duh! What was I thinking? Of course it was. It was sung nearly 248 times over all 51 Christmas songs and carols. I was disappointed. My analysis was not very insightful. Basically it was listening to Christmas music makes you think about Christmas.
Perhaps, i thought, the second most common lyric would be astounding. It was "all". At first I was again disappointed but then I thought perhaps it was a good word to associate with the season. It was inclusive and encompassing. Christmas for me is about being together with family and friends. It is part of some of the iconic phrases associated with the holiday. "All I want/need." "All the way." "All year. "All is bright." "All our dreams will come true." It is positive and optimistic.
While my analysis did not prove to be a journalistic coup, it did reinforce that there is nothing sinister at work. Christmas carries with it both happy and sad memories. The songs of the season just encourage you enjoy all the happy ones the most.
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