Ep. 286: A discussion on The Kinks “Father Christmas”

Chris DeMakes A Podcast

Chris DeMakes

Music History, Music Commentary, Music, Music Interviews

4.9 • 923 Ratings

🗓️ 1 December 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, Chris DeMakes and Chris Fafalios dive into The Kinks’ 1977 holiday classic “Father Christmas,” a song that manages to sound as punk as it does festive. It features sharp cultural commentary within the angry and funny lyrics, and despite its anti-holidays sentiment, it still brings about an undeniable uplifting feeling. Often called the godfathers of Britpop, The Kinks left a mark that still resonates, and “Father Christmas” stands as a perfect example of how a Christmas song can pack both attitude and spirit. Chris DeMakes A Podcast is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Get 30% off your first YEAR with DistroKid by signing up at ⁠http://distrokid.com/vip/demakes For bonus episode of The After Party podcast, an extensive back catalog of past After Party episodes, early ad-free releases of new episodes of Chris DeMakes A Podcast, full video versions of episodes, and MUCH more, head to the Patreon at ⁠http://www.ChrisDeMakes.com Follow Chris DeMakes A Podcast on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chrisdemakesapodcast/⁠ Join the Chris DeMakes A Podcast community on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/2643961642526928/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Distro Kit.
0:02.7	Think about cheese.
0:04.8	Make your thoughts cheesier.
0:06.8	Now add 100% chicken breast fillet, Chipotle sauce and Ameta cheese melt.
0:11.1	And it's giving the new cheesy chicken stack at McDonald's.
0:15.1	Did we mention it's cheesy?
0:16.6	Cheese!
0:18.5	Available until the 4th of Jan, 2026 from 11 a.m.
0:20.9	Present participation may vary.
0:22.0	Subjects availability.
0:27.3	Hey, everybody.
0:28.6	Today marks the first of four holiday episodes here in the month of December.
0:32.8	To kick things off, Chris Fafalius and myself are going to break down the writing and
0:37.3	lyrical interpretation
0:38.4	of the Kinks' 1977 standalone single, Father Christmas. Talk about fun. This song is chocked
0:47.0	full of hook after hook. The melody is insanely catchy, and there's more production twists and turns
0:52.6	than you can count. And the lyric?
0:55.0	Well, it's not the most uplifting piece of prose ever committed to tape, but does that
0:59.3	even matter?
1:00.4	Not really.
1:01.8	Father Christmas still gives me super warm feelings.
1:05.0	And by the looks of it, a lot of other artists have felt this way, too.
	...

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