You're a Grinch.
In some things related to Christmas, I am a Grinch. In other things, I'm VERY Christmas-y. It depends on the aspect of Christmas.
But I'm particular about my Christmas songs.
And one who is struggling to maintain the thesis in this particular respect.
Do you really not see how it's not a Christmas song? Just because it says a "year" so you think it can't reference a day?
I mean, put in Easter then. Or Black Friday. Whatever. Sure, there may be one or two other Christmas-y words shoved in. That doesn't make it a Christmas-y song.
Is this a Christmas song:
On a dark December highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of candy canes, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway
I heard the Christmas bell
And I was thinking to myself
'This could be presents or this could be coal
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
I thought I heard them say
Welcome to the Christmas California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Christmas California
Any time of year (any time of year) you can find it here
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet winter sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
So I called up the Santa
'Please bring me my wine
He said, "we haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say"
Welcome to the ChristmasCalifornia
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Christmas California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), bring your alibis
Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device
And in the Santa's chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the tree
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
'Relax' said Santa
'We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave!
(Bolding added for changes.)
I would argue no, shoving the word Christmas into it where it could be substituted for something else (say, Hotel?) and throwing in a few references to the season doesn't make it a REAL Christmas song.
Internet Christmas Song Police (ICSP) unite!
Wikipedia tells me the royalties on Last Christmas are donated to famine relief.
That's terrific! (I mean that genuinely.)
...doesn't make it a Christmas song though. Complete non-sequitur. :)