Renaming the Reindeer

Do you ever start to sing a song, only to realize about half way through that you've forgotten the words? Or worse yet, maybe you never really knew the words??? I think that it's worse for me when it comes to Christmas songs because you only hear and/or sing them once a year.

The other day "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" came on the radio, and as is often the case, I began to sing along. So I'm going pretty smoothly (as is often the case) and I get to the part about there'll be da da da da da da da da da da da and
da da da da da da da... And I realize that I'm actually singing da da da da da etc... (you get the idea) and I don't know the words... Then I realize that I don't think I've ever known the words! Usually I sing out "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas La, di da, di da..." and then kind of hum along the way never really finishing the song. (which has to be a terribly annoying thing to those around me who wonder "Does he not even know this song? Why doesn't he shut the heck up?")

So today at work I start singing, as is often the case... sometimes just for fun I'll sing in the style of Sinatra, or Harry Connick, Jr. or even the late, great Nat King Cole... or sometimes I'll do my Willie Nelson imitation or even go so far as to sing songs in Steve Irwin's voice... "CRIKEY!" In any event I realize I've forgotten the names of the reindeer that hang out with Rudolph in the classic song..."What's-his-name the red nosed reindeer."

So I'm going along singing "You know Dippy and Trippy and Crappy and Daffy, Titus and Stupid and Muammar Gaddafi... but do you recall, the strangest reindeer of all?"
And all I could remember at that point was "Randy the bow-legged cowboy" which was one of the dumbed-down versions of the song we sang when we were children.

So...what the heck is wrong with me? Am I that confused? Is it the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder? Am I just forgetful? Should I write the words down? Why is a Middle-Eastern Dictator's name in the middle of a kid's Christmas song? I suddenly realized that I don't have any answers to these questions...so I'm going to think about it and get back to you next year...Okay?

Hey, have a Merry Whatchamacallit and a Happy whosit...

Dave