Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4).
Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto (1968)
When James Brown recorded "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto" in 1968, the country was in a serious state of unrest. The year had already seen the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., which led to riots in cities across the U.S. The night after the assassination, Brown played a concert at the Boston Garden that was famously broadcast across the city to quell potential riots.
This was the year that Brown transformed himself from entertainer to activist. He began to record more politically charged songs, starting with "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud."
By the end of the year, Brown released "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto," in which he encourages the jolly fat man to visit underprivileged neighborhoods.
"Santa Claus, go straight to the ghetto/Hitch up your reindeer/And go straight to the ghetto/Santa Claus, go straight to the ghetto/Fill every stocking you find/The kids are gonna love you so/Leave a toy for Johnny/Leave a doll for Mary/Leave something pretty for Donnie/And don't forget about Gary/Santa Claus, go straight to the ghetto/Santa Claus, go straight to the ghetto/Tell 'em James Brown sent you/Go straight to the ghetto/You know that I know what you will see/'Cause that was once me."
Brown followed up the release of the song by dressing up as Santa and passing out 3,000 gift certificates for free Christmas dinner to residents of New York's poorest neighborhoods.
"Santa Claus, go straight to the ghetto/Never thought I'd realize/I'd be singing a song with water in my eyes/Santa Claus, go straight to the ghetto/Don't leave nothing for me/I've had my chance, you see?/Santa Claus, go straight to the ghetto/Santa Claus, the soul brother need you/Santa Claus, tell 'em James Brown sent you."
Brown released three albums' worth of Christmas music and frankly, it's all terrific. Check it out if you haven't already.
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