If you're like me, the thought of entering a season where stores everywhere (and some very guilty radio stations) will be playing what seems like the same 12 songs by different artists for the rest of the month. I came to this sudden, horrible and gut retching realization sitting in Perkins.

It's enough to make your ears bleed and your ear drums cry for mercy.

But I am a music fan, and Christmas has been around for so long and is celebrated in so many cultures that I know there HAS to be more than jingling bells out there, right?

Right! Of course there is, and I have my wonderful years as a choir dork to draw on.

So here it is, a list of 10 Christmas songs you're not tired of hearing yet.

Here we come a Wassailing
Traditional English

You know the tradition of caroling, right? Well, originally it was the practice of going from house to house begging for booze and threatening bad luck to anyone who didn't give you any. Also food. But mostly beer because it's cold out there caroling. You may have heard this one in it's silly American version "Here we come a'caroling" which is the wimpy version if you as me.

Link to full lyrics: [link]
Link to people singing it: [link]

Rise up Shepherd
Traditional Spiritual

I once sang this one for a recital. However, I am neither black nor male so the link I will give you is a much better rendition than anything I can do (also it is much more R&B).

Link: [link]

The Boar's Head Carol
Traditional

The tradition of feasting on the Boar's Head comes from Scandinavia, and was probably spread to Medieval England by the Vikings. And then they wrote a song about it. Because the English can be awesome. We really need to hear this one more.

Link: [link]

Riu Riu Chiu
Traditional Spanish

The literal translation is something like "I hope the big bad wolf doesn't eat the Christ Child". It's usually sung by a madrigal group, which makes it more awesome. Oh old songs, how random you can be.

Link: [link]

Pat-a-Pan
Traditional English

As long as I've brought up madrigal groups, here's a song that should not be attempted by anything that is not a madrigal group. If you don't have the overlying melody, it gets repetitive, and then boiled down to "The Little Drummer Boy" (who's only acceptable version is done by the Animaniacs).

Link: [link]

Snoopy's Christmas
The Royal Guardsmen

There are two versions of this song. One has a cheery chorus about mass murder, the Christmas version has the same cheery chorus about good will to man. Maybe someday I'll link you up with the original, but for now, you get the Christmas version. Check out the awesome trumpets.

Link: [link]

I Want to Rock You Hard This Christmas
The Dan Band

This one was suggested by my brother. It's not for everyone as it is explicit. However, if you're into parody, you may enjoy this. You know how artist will release a Christmas song that is totally out of character because, well, it's a Christmas song? What if they didn't do that? Probably this. Or the Twisted Sister Christmas Album.

Link (radio version): [link]

Zat You, Santa Claus?
Louis Armstrong and The Commanders

Okay, the video for this one is...sub par, so feel free to ignore it. However, if you are looking for Christmas you haven't heard before, Louis Armstrong is a great way to go. I wanted to post his "Christmas in Harlem" but I couldn't find a link to it any where on the web. Ah well, this is a good one as well.

Link: [link]

Shake Hands with Santa Claus
Louis Prima

If you recognize his voice, it's probably because he was King Louis in the Disney's Jungle book. At least someone is going back to the tradition of Christmas songs not needing to make a lot of sense.

Link: [link]

Mele Kalikimaka
Hawaiian
As Sung by Bette Midler

Bing Crosby did a rather vanilla version of this that gets some play. Unfortunately. Bette, actually being from Hawaii, makes this the happy, up beat song that it should be. And her version has ukulele. Also, she was the voice of Georgette in Disney's Oliver and Company, so it relates to our last selection.

Link: [link]

Saving your ears. One lobe at a time.