Christmas At Ground Zero
Encyclopedia
"Christmas at Ground Zero" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic
. It is done in the style of The Ronettes
' numerous 1960s-era Christmas carol
s, with bells and a saxophone section, and is one of Yankovic's darkest songs, alongside "The Night Santa Went Crazy
" (which is also a Christmas novelty song).
The expression "ground zero
" was largely connected with nuclear explosions at the time this song was written. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the term was co-opted by the media to refer to the large hole
over which the World Trade Center
towers that were destroyed in the attacks had stood. (An unrelated folk ballad with the same title was released by a Michigan
musician in December 2001, with all profits going to families of the September 11 victims and to a Michigan chapter of NORD
(National Organization for Rare Disorders), a charity benefiting research into rare disorders.) Due to the new associations of the title, the Yankovic song received far-reduced airplay from 2001 onward, but continues to appear in novelty programming such as the Dr. Demento
show.
The promo single only contains "Christmas at Ground Zero".
The song contains numerous references familiar to those who were children during the early atomic age (Oh, it's Christmas at Ground Zero / And if the radiation level's okay / I'll go out with you and see the all new / Mutations on New Year's Day" and "I'll duck and cover
/ With my Yule
tide lover / Underneath the 'missile'-toe
").
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
. It is done in the style of The Ronettes
The Ronettes
The Ronettes were a 1960s girl group from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett ; her older sister, Estelle Bennett; and their cousin Nedra Talley...
' numerous 1960s-era Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
s, with bells and a saxophone section, and is one of Yankovic's darkest songs, alongside "The Night Santa Went Crazy
The Night Santa Went Crazy
"The Night Santa Went Crazy" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. The darkly humorous Christmas song is performed as a style parody of "Black Gold" by Soul Asylum, with melodic references to "Mama I'm Comin' Home" by Ozzy Osbourne and "I Believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake...
" (which is also a Christmas novelty song).
The expression "ground zero
Ground zero
The term ground zero describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation...
" was largely connected with nuclear explosions at the time this song was written. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the term was co-opted by the media to refer to the large hole
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
over which the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
towers that were destroyed in the attacks had stood. (An unrelated folk ballad with the same title was released by a Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
musician in December 2001, with all profits going to families of the September 11 victims and to a Michigan chapter of NORD
National Organization for Rare Disorders
The National Organization for Rare Disorders is an American non-profit organization aiming to provide support individuals with rare diseases by advocating and funding research, education, and networking among service providers...
(National Organization for Rare Disorders), a charity benefiting research into rare disorders.) Due to the new associations of the title, the Yankovic song received far-reduced airplay from 2001 onward, but continues to appear in novelty programming such as the Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
show.
Track listing
The following tracks are on the single:- "Christmas at Ground Zero" – 3:08
- "One of Those Days" – 3:15
The promo single only contains "Christmas at Ground Zero".
Lyrics
Although the song strongly resembles a Christmas carol, the lyrics describe a situation where a nuclear war is breaking out and humanity is about to end during the Christmas season.The song contains numerous references familiar to those who were children during the early atomic age (Oh, it's Christmas at Ground Zero / And if the radiation level's okay / I'll go out with you and see the all new / Mutations on New Year's Day" and "I'll duck and cover
Duck and cover
Duck and Cover was a suggested method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear weapon which the United States government taught to generations of United States school children from the early 1950s into the 1980s. This was supposed to protect them in the event of an unexpected nuclear...
/ With my Yule
Yule
Yule or Yuletide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic people as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January...
tide lover / Underneath the 'missile'-toe
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.-Mistletoe in the genus Viscum:...
").
Music video
The music video was made during the 1980s at the time of the Cold War. This music video was also Yankovic's directing debut. The video is a montage of old film, television, and news footage, capped off with a live-action scene of Yankovic and some carolers wearing gas masks (Al is not), singing with rubble around them. It was edited with Yankovic by Darren Bramen with final edits and effects by John Peterson. The video seems to be set in the 1950s, using quite a bit of recycled footage circa-1950s government issued videos that instructed people to "duck and cover" during the threat of a nuclear attack.- The video montage is a mixture of various film clippings, some of which depicts Christmas cheer whereas others show a nuclear attack. Notably, several clips are taken from the propaganda film Duck and CoverDuck and Cover (film)Duck and Cover is a civil defense film produced in 1951 by the United States federal government's civil defense branch shortly after the Soviet Union began nuclear testing. Written by Raymond J...
. - The video features a clip of pre-president Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, due to the Cold WarCold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
theme. - The live action finale was filmed in the Bronx, New York, in an area that looked like a bomb recently went off.
See also
- "We Will All Go Together When We Go" - a song by Tom LehrerTom LehrerThomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
of similar topic and attitude - "The Night Santa Went CrazyThe Night Santa Went Crazy"The Night Santa Went Crazy" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. The darkly humorous Christmas song is performed as a style parody of "Black Gold" by Soul Asylum, with melodic references to "Mama I'm Comin' Home" by Ozzy Osbourne and "I Believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake...
" - "Weasel Stomping DayWeasel Stomping Day"Weasel Stomping Day" is a song by American parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic, which appears on his 2006 album Straight Outta Lynwood. It is also one of six songs on the album to have an animated music video, created for the Adult Swim show Robot Chicken....
" - List of singles by "Weird Al" Yankovic
- List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic