Thanksgiving Music

DJ Gobble in da' hizz-ouse!

It's always been particularly vexing how, when I discuss the lack of songs related to Thanksgiving, people are always so eager to mention Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving song.  Mentioning this song would be like being asked to list the classic Christmas songs and starting off with "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" or "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells."  The problem is that in the Christmas example, the person is probably trying to be funny. In the case of Thanksgiving, they think they're trying to be funny, but if you prod them to cite other Thanksgiving songs they'll likely draw a blank. This is because, sadly, a joke song is currently the best known song--among a very small list of songs--related to the holiday!

The situation isn't improving, what with the recent release of the viral sensation "It's Thanksgiving."  This autotuned dance/pop piece was produced by PMW Live, the same talent that brought the world 2011's "Friday."  If you were familiar with that work, then you already know what to expect from this.  It's something that so perfectly mimics the trappings of Top 40 music that one twists their mind trying to figure out if it's a parody or overly calculated product. 

Why does Thanksgiving get the shaft when it comes to music?  Is it just considered too specific a holiday, conceptually, to warrant songs?  After all, the 4th of July can co-opt anything vaguely patriotic, and Christmas can lay claim to any song involving good will toward mankind, but does something like taking stock of what one has in life and giving thanks just not spark creative spirit?  The "It's Thanksgiving" song managed to touch on that concept in its opening lines!  How can it be that effectively engineered to be bad can hit at the core of the holiday while legitimate songwriters pass it up?  Is the concept just not considered serious enough to approach, which is why a joke song remains the most well known one related to the holiday?  Or is it that nobody is willing to finance the endeavor, figuring that between the Halloween & Christmas playlists there's simply no more money to be made?

Below are some links to further explore the matter.

• Where are All the Thanksgiving Songs @ SparkLife
• Nicole Westbrook Goes Viral with "It's Thanksgiving" Song Video @ ABC News
• Top 10 Pop Songs for Thanksgiving @ About.com (This list actually has some solid recommendations, although it does unfortunately include the Adam Sandler song and a couple that are real stretches in terms of fitting the theme.)
• How am I Supposed to Write a Thanksgiving Songlist? How? @ Pajiba (Has a very unique interpretation on Thanksgiving music.)
• Songs for Thanksgiving @ Reflections of Pop Culture & Life's Challenges (A well thought-out list of songs, even breaking them up between the secular and more religious options.)