Forming in the wake of the early-'60s success of local favorites the Kingsmen and the Wailers (whose Etiquette label they recorded for), the Sonics combined classic Northwest-area teen band raunch with early English band grit (particularly influenced by the Kinks), relentless rhythmic drive, and unabashed '50s-style blues shouting for a combination that still makes their brand of rock & roll perhaps the raunchiest ever captured on wax.
Lead singer Gerry Roslie was no less than a white Little Richard, whose harrowing soul-screams were startling even to the Northwest teen audience, who liked their music powerful and driving with little regard to commercial subtleties. With hit after hit on the local charts (and influencing every local band that ever took the stage), the band inexplicably was never able to break out nationally, leaving its sound largely undiluted for mass consumption. Breaking up between 1966 and 1968 (after one ill-fated album attempt to water down their style for national attention), the Sonics continue today to be revered by '60s collectors the world over for their unique brand of rock & roll raunch.
In 2007, The Sonics reunited again, this time for the Cavestomp garage rock festival in Brooklyn (November 2-4, 2007). The line up featured original members Gerry Roslie on vocals/keyboards, Larry Parypa on guitar and Rob Lind on tenor sax; with Ricky Lynn Johnson (of The Wailers) on drums and Don Wilhelm (of The Daily Flash) on bass and vocals.
In 2008, The Sonics recorded a live session for Mark Lamarr's BBC Radio 2 show God's Jukebox on March 22. They played their first ever shows in London on Friday March 21 and Sunday March 23.
Since then, they have played the Primavera Festival in Barcelona, followed by Bilbao, then Belgium, Norway, and the Azkena Rock Festival in Vitoria in the Basque Country.
Their first show in their home region since their last Seattle reunion in 1972 was on Halloween 31 October 2008 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, where they were introduced and joined onstage for a couple numbers by Steven Van Zandt. Kent Morrill (front man of the Wailers) made a surprise appearance to help sing his signature song "Dirty Robber". Bob Bennett was also present to sit in on drums albeit only for a few songs and only while Ricky Lynn Johnson played in unison.
Don't Believe in Christmas
The Sonics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
so i did what i should
i hung my stocking on a wall
i didn't get a thing at all
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
'cause i didnt get nothin' last year
to see santa clause fly
well sure enough don't ya know
the fat boy didn't show
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
'cause i didnt get nothin' last year
well i tried to get a little kiss
from a pretty little miss
she slapped me down and said "you jerk,
mistletoe doesn't work"
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
'cause i didnt get nothin' last year
oh right!
well wakin' up the reindeer
makin' little kids cheer
the reason that his nose shine
santa gave him moonshine
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
'cause i didnt get nothin' last year
ah decorate the street light
people lookin' to get right
one hand will slap ya back
the other one will take ya back
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
'cause i didnt get nothin' last year
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
i dont believe in christmas
'cause i didnt get nothin' but fear.
The Sonics's song "Don't Believe in Christmas" is a rebellious twist on the traditional holiday tune. The singer in the song expresses their disbelief in Christmas by stating the reasons why they didn't receive any gifts last year. The first stanza describes how the singer hung their stocking up, as suggested by their parents, but didn't receive anything. This disappointment caused them to stop believing in Christmas altogether.
The second stanza talks about how the singer stayed up late to see Santa Claus, but he never came. This incident caused the singer to lose their belief in the magic of Santa Claus and the holiday. The third stanza talks about the singer's unsuccessful attempt to get a kiss under the mistletoe, which resulted in them getting slapped down. The fourth stanza humorously suggests that Santa's reindeer's nose only glows because Santa gave him moonshine, which further proves the singer's disbelief in the holiday.
The final stanza is the most powerful, where the singer warns that the holiday can bring fear, possibly implying the commercialization and peer pressure associated with Christmas. Overall, the song's lyrics are critical of the mainstream notion of Christmas and the pressure to conform to it.
Line by Line Meaning
well mom and dad said we could
My parents gave me permission to celebrate Christmas
so i did what i should
I followed the rules and celebrated Christmas accordingly
i hung my stocking on a wall
I put up my stocking as a Christmas tradition
i didn't get a thing at all
I received no gifts in my stocking
i dont believe in christmas
I lost faith in the concept of Christmas
'cause i didnt get nothin' last year
I didn't receive any gifts during the previous Christmas
well stayin' up late
I stayed up late on Christmas Eve
to see santa clause fly
I hoped to see Santa Claus arriving with his reindeer
well sure enough don't ya know
However, to my dismay
the fat boy didn't show
Santa Claus did not arrive as expected
well i tried to get a little kiss
I attempted to receive love and affection during Christmas
from a pretty little miss
From an attractive woman
she slapped me down and said "you jerk,
However, she rejected me and insulted me
mistletoe doesn't work"
Claiming that the tradition of kissing under mistletoe is not effective
oh right!
My sarcastic response to this experience
well wakin' up the reindeer
I woke up Santa's reindeer as part of the festive tradition
makin' little kids cheer
Children were happy to see Santa's reindeer awake and preparing to deliver gifts
the reason that his nose shine
Referring to Rudolph, whose red nose glows brightly
santa gave him moonshine
Humorous explanation for the reason behind Rudolph's red nose
ah decorate the street light
Decorating the street lamps with Christmas lights
people lookin' to get right
People were looking to get into the festive spirit
one hand will slap ya back
Referring to the potential for violence and aggression during Christmas festivities
the other one will take ya back
Yet, it is also a time for forgiveness and reconciliation
i dont believe in christmas
Despite the positive aspects of Christmas, I am still disillusioned with it
i dont believe in christmas
My lack of faith in Christmas continues
i dont believe in christmas
The disappointment I have experienced has caused me to lose all belief in Christmas
'cause i didnt get nothin' but fear.
Not only did I miss out on gifts, but the experience has left me fearful and cynical about the holiday season.
Contributed by Wyatt D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
izationalizer
If you, like me, like this song, you should track down the Sonics/Wailers/Galaxies "Merry Christmas" album (1965). This is one of the few X-mas albums fit for a cynical garage rocker: The Sonics are predictably awesome ("The Village Idiot" is classic). The Wailers totally nail it w/ some cool garage-folk jams. The Galaxies aren't quite as good (kinda cheesy), but they have a cool song or two. So awesome overall. It's sad that the LP has been mostly forgotten... which is why I wrote this post!
Ana Balka
Thanks dude
a.f. flynn
thanx izzy
andy land
Very cool! Great song. I love this ❤️♥️❤️❤️
Pedro Kevin Iann
Muito bom esse rock holl
The Freakbeats
Freakin' great!
glorianoir21
It's almost that time! Time to crank this tune!!!
Jim Walsh
Best Xmas song ever!
עבדיאל ישוע גאָלדשטיין
Me favourite is Happy Xmas, by John Lennon, but this one is also awesome!
d22
Awesome!!!!