Aux États-Unis et au Royaume-Uni, la tradition du hit de Noël compte ! Pour partager ce rituel, le magazine I Love English propose aux 12-15 ans (mais les plus âgés apprécieront aussi !) une playlist avec les meilleures et… les pires chansons de Noël. Enjoy!
Les 4 meilleures chansons de Noël
“Last Christmas” de Wham!
The talented George Michael had one of his biggest hits with this 1980s synthpop ballad about having his heart broken* by a girl at Christmas.
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” de Mariah Carey
It took her an hour to write and is now the most successful Christmas song by a female artist ever. Every year it is N°1 in the digital charts*, making Carey the official Queen of Christmas.
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” de Dean Martin
Some people insist that this is not a Christmas song because it doesn’t mention Christmas. Calm* down, people! As performed* by Dean Martin, this is the closest* festive music gets to being sexy.
“Merry Xmas Everybody” de Slade
Slade were a shouty* pub-rock band from the 1970s and the last group you’d expect* to write a Christmas song. But it’s great fun and charts* every Christmas in Britain.
Les 4 pires chansons de Noël
“Peace on Earth/Little* Drummer Boy” de David Bowie and Bing Crosby
Rock icon Bowie only agreed* to appear on Crosby’s TV show because his mum was a fan of the US singer. They sang this cheesy* song from the 40s and, to Bowie’s horror, it became one of his biggest hits.
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” de Bruce Springsteen
The man musicians call The Boss takes a cheesy* children’s song and gives it the full* stadium rock treatment. It’s wrong. But so wrong… that it’s almost right.
“Wonderful Christmastime”de Paul McCartney
The ex-Beatle is a songwriting genius. There is no doubt about it. But this song is so full* of Christmas joy and happiness you want to take it outside and shoot* it.
“Please, Daddy, Don’t Get Drunk* This Christmas” de John Denver
We had to put this song in just because it has the worst title* of all time.
****** Vocabulaire anglais ******
agree: être d’accord
broken (have one’s heart…): avoir le cœur brisé
calm down: se calmer
chart (n., v.): hit-parade, figurer dans le hit-parade
cheesy: ringard
closest festive music gets to being sexy: la musique de Noël devient presque sexy
drunk: ivre
expect: s’attendre
full: rempli
full stadium rock treatment: son rock digne d’être joué dans un stade
huge: énorme
little drummer boy: enfant au tambour
performed (as… by): interprété par
right: bon
shoot: tirer dessus
shouty: gueulard
title: titre
wrong: mauvais
Découvrir d’autres infos en anglais
“The best & worst Christmas songs”, I Love English World n°366, décembre 2023. Texte : Rupert Morgan. Photo : gelatin/AdobeStock – Cvkarthi Kn/Noun Project – Paul Verhulst/Noun Project.
