Carol Of The Bells may sound like the tough matriarch from that family a few streets away, but it’s actually the title of a song which will ramp up your anxiety levels during what some optimists have described as the ‘most wonderful time of the year’.
The four-note folk tune, based on a Ukrainian chant called Shchedryk (translation: bountiful), was written by Mykola Leontovych and Peter J. Wilhousky. It wasn’t originally a Christmas carol, but a song about a bird wishing prosperity on a family home. Only in later years did it mutate into this festive banger you’ll hear significantly more times than the mantra of the flatulent: ‘pass the sprouts’.
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Over a century later, Melvins have recorded their own sinister version for Amazon Prime’s exclusive compilation, Indie for the Holidays. “The song has scared us since we were children,” King Buzzo told Stereogum. “That’s why we wanted to do it.”
So, if you fancy a creeping, gnawing sensation of dread in the run up to December 25, crank this up as loud as your stereo or device will allow, pour a glass of eggnog and enjoy. Don’t drink the eggnog, though. That would be foolish.
