5 Songs I Like to Play Around Thanksgiving

Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving, you have to notice there seems to be a lack of distinct music for this holiday.

Churchgoers are always hearing the hymn “We Gather Together,” and then there’s Adam Sandler’s ditty that came out in 1992 as part of this Weekend Update bit for Saturday Night Live.

Remember, it’s SNL, so there are some not-so-family-friendly references:

Yet it seems at Thanksgiving many people are already tuning into holiday and Christmas music before dessert is even served. Well, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, here are five songs I like that are a little more Thanksgiving-worthy. At least for me. No, I don’t feel the music marathon of “Alice’s Restaurant” is one.

“The Thanksgiving Theme” from Vince Guaraldi

The jazzy piano sounds from the Charlie Brown classics I often associate with Halloween or, in the case of “Linus and Lucy,” both Halloween and Christmas. However, Guaraldi did write music specifically for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Like much of his music for the specials, this one is often found on Christmas compilations of his work.

“I’ve Got Plenty to be Thankful For” by Bing Crosby

I have seen some playlists and magazines try to muster up a Thanksgiving list by including every song that features the phrases “thankful,” “thank you,” “thanks,” or some variation of such in the title as a Thanksgiving playlist option. Really, gratitude is a sentiment we need to try and adhere to all year long. The reason I think the Crosby one works for the season? It was in the movie Holiday Inn, but it is a good bridge to Crosby’s “White Christmas” which is about to get some more attention with BTS member V’s remix duet coming soon.

“Macy’s Day Parade” by Green Day

While Crosby’s song talks about being thankful for little things, Billy Joe Armstrong reminds us there are some stressful times others face around the holiday season. The Macy’s Day Parade is a reminder of his own hardship in this story. Still, it is the only song I’ve seen mentioning what has become one of the most blatant symbols of the commercialized part of Thanksgiving Day. Even if the lyrics are far from upbeat, the tune is easygoing and comforting.

“Autumn Leaves” by Nat King Cole

Everyone wants to include songs about food and family in their Thanksgiving playlists, and I see a lot of nice little homey magazines doing this. Just like being thankful is something that shouldn’t be considered just a Thanksgiving thing, eating home-cooked meals is also something that can occur any time of year. As nifty as Little Eva’s “Turkey Trot” is, it is better suited to summer dances than fall dinners.

And speaking of fall, that is one thing that is very November in my world, as the leaves don’t begin changing where I live until right around Halloween. Hence, this cool Nat King Cole song feels more like Thanksgiving to me than “Do the Mashed Potato”:

Before I conclude with this last song, I need to point out there are some songs about Thanksgiving from popular musicians like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ray Davies, Ben Rector, and Graham Parker. Look up any of these names with “Thanksgiving” and you’ll find a song.

I am not a massive fan of any of these. They aren’t bad, they just aren’t my thing.

So, let me suggest one last one.

“Jingle Bells”

 Yes, “Jingle Bells,” the Christmas staple, was first performed for a Thanksgiving church service in the mid-1800s in Medford, Massachusetts as a way to commemorate some annual sleigh races. Over the years, it has morphed into a Christmas song because snow and sleigh bells just seem to scream Christmas. That’s okay. What better way to say goodbye to November vibes and bid hello to December than with a Christmas classic created for Thanksgiving?

I like the Brian Setzer version that replaces a sleigh with a ’57 Chevy.

Next week is going to be busy for some, restful for others, and for some even stressful or melancholy. You have your music in your life, whether it is for autumn, early winter, Thanksgiving, the holiday season, or just to remind us to always find a reason for gratitude and celebration.