The season is approaching, even if Mariah Carey’s iconic “It’s time” didn’t happen on Nov. 1. This year, we have a new Christmas song to jam to, with Olivia Rodrigo announcing her first holiday song, “take me home (4 christmas),” on Monday, Nov. 1, and releasing it on Nov. 5.
As a longtime fan of Rodrigo (which is pretty clear from my you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love album review), I was excited she was releasing a true Christmas song that wasn’t her childhood song, “The Bels.” Though, I don’t think fans would have hated that one. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but after a few listens, the song won’t get out of your head. The vinyl also features an exclusive track on side B, “miss this christmas,” which I’m hoping is released later this year.
With a music video out at the same time as the tune dropped, the visuals make the lyrics clearer. In the video, starring Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon and SNL’s Ben Marshall, Rodrigo finds herself daydreaming of meeting her partner’s family, spending the holiday with them, and being loved. Some of the imagery and parallels were comedic too, such as Marshall having a tough time chopping a log. He tries multiple times, and later in the video, Rodrigo takes a shot at it. She gets it on the first try. It has to mean something, right?
To me, the lyrics took a moment to seep in. Yes, it’s a simple tune, easy to remember, and fairly catchy, but the words say more than just “Take me home to meet your family.” The music video, however, locks the overall theme in: Rodrigo wants to give the world to her person and their family, but hasn’t yet had the opportunity to. She sings about how long she’s been waiting to be introduced to his family: “I’ve been patient, and merry and kind.”
I’m sure many people have been in the same situation, where their partner is doing everything except taking them home to the people they love most. The imagery suggests Rodrigo wants the opportunity to fit in with this family and be the best girlfriend this man has ever had. However, Marshall, as the boyfriend, acts a little bit…useless. He can’t chop wood; he’s asleep at the beginning and end of the music video, and Rodrigo cleans up his mess. Maybe I’m looking too deep into it, but I think it’s a narrative about having false expectations in a relationship, which we know she’s done with now.
Both the lyrics and the video complete the old-fashioned, vintage Christmas vibe. In the second verse, she sings: “Woke up late, but your momma don’t care // And she walked in on me in just my underwear.” This is rounded out with a fun scream in the background, but I couldn’t help but think of comedic Christmas staples like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with this visual.
My favorite part of the song, no surprise to me, was the bridge. I just love a good bridge, especially when it’s Rodrigo’s catchy tunes.
She explains how much she wants to spend time with his family, again, while adding iconic, well-known ad-libs, like “Wishing you happy holidays,” and some funny ones like “As long as your grandma thinks I’m cool.” However, one lyric sticks out: “Your exes got the summer, but boy, I get the winter.” Catchy, without a doubt, but it left me thinking. If it’s meant to be taken literally, this is a new relationship she’s jumping into, with her heart on her sleeve and ready to be adored. From the comically wrapped gifts to perfectly chopping the wood in half, she’s more than willing to be everything that man has dreamed of. But as she daydreams about this life, it’s possible he is not what she pictures he is. A creator on TikTok analyzed the song from a film perspective and mentioned it too, so it’s not a stretch.
From social media, listeners have noted the similarity Rodrigo’s song has to The Waitresses’ Christmas Wrapping. According to Variety, however, the song was endorsed by the writer of the 1981 hit, Chris Butler, after he was sent a demo of it by Rodrigo herself. Having written this song in the summer, Rodrigo explained in an Instagram post that it’s understandable that she got that go-ahead.
The songs themselves have similar vibes, but completely different messages. For Christmas Wrapping, vocalists Patty Donahue and Tracy Wormworth explain how much they don’t want to go out for the holidays. The first lyric, “Bah humbug, but that’s too strong, cause it is my favorite holiday,” which many recognize immediately, shows how they’re trying to convince everyone they’re over it. There’s a bit of yearning for a past relationship, and the holiday season is bringing that feeling forward. With Rodrigo’s latest single, however, there is also yearning. She wants so badly to be included with the family that she daydreams of having the best time with them. Playing charades, eating a family dinner, and even getting her makeup done by her partner’s little sister are all light-hearted things she imagines.
Pop girlies are taking over Christmas, from Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” and Sabrina Carpenter’s EP, fruitcake. Christmas songs are, in my opinion, really hard to write. There are just so many already, and as the holiday approaches, you hear those songs more. On the radio, in stores, at theme parks, at home; they are literally everywhere. But I think Rodrigo did a really great job with this. It mashes her well-known style with a vintage Christmas vibe, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this shows up in retail playlists in a few weeks.