December, Don’t You Dare
[INTRO — Slow, smoky Hammond B3 organ, brushed snare, warm upright bass. A lonely electric blues guitar answers each phrase. Faint sleigh bells in the distance. Mature female alto, spoken with dry Southern wit.] [VERSE 1 — FEMALE BLUES-SOUL VOCAL | Lazy, behind-the-beat phrasing] I was doing fine in November, Had my pumpkin spice latte, had my peace. Got used to sleeping in the middle, Had the whole damn bed to me. Then somebody hung a wreath up, And the radio played our song. Now I’m standing in the grocery store Trying not to sing along. I don’t need your mistletoe, Don’t need your sentimental snow. I was getting good at letting go, But you just had to show. [PRE-CHORUS — Organ swells, blues guitar bends] You bring out all the photographs, The things I packed away. And every little Christmas light Has something else to say. [CHORUS — RICH, SMOKY SOUTHERN SOUL | Punchy drums, Hammond organ, gospel-tinged backing harmonies] December, don’t you dare Make me miss that man again. Don’t go hanging up our memories Like ornaments I can’t take down. Don’t you play that song we danced to, Don’t you put his laughter in the air. I spent eleven months forgetting, December, don’t you dare. Oh, December… Don’t you dare. [VERSE 2 — SASSY, RESTRAINED VOCAL | Walking bass, warm electric piano] Found his old red Christmas sweater In a box beneath the stairs. I was gonna give it to Goodwill, But I stood there holding it instead. He always burned the Christmas cookies, Never got the lights quite right. And he’d swear he wasn’t sleeping When he’d snore through movie night. I should be laughing at the memories, Should be glad those days are gone. But I still know how he takes his coffee, And which side of the tree he’d put the star on. [PRE-CHORUS — More vulnerable, organ and strings rise] I don’t want to turn back time, Don’t know if we could start anew. But I hate the way this season Makes me wonder if he misses me too. [CHORUS — STRONGER VOCAL | Female backing harmonies, blues guitar fills] December, don’t you dare Make me miss that man again. Don’t go hanging up our memories Like ornaments I can’t take down. Don’t you play that song we danced to, Don’t you put his laughter in the air. I spent eleven months forgetting, December, don’t you dare. [BRIDGE — MUSIC DROPS TO PIANO AND UPRIGHT BASS | Intimate, honest female vocal] The truth is, I don’t hate you, And I don’t hate him either. I just hate how cold it gets When you’re missing someone near you. We had some beautiful Decembers, We had some we barely made it through. And I don’t know if love is over Just because the living arrangement’s new. I could call him Christmas morning, Ask him how he’s doing now. But I’m afraid he’d say he misses me, And I wouldn’t know what to do with that. [INSTRUMENTAL — 8 bars of expressive blues guitar, warm organ underneath] [FINAL CHORUS — BIG EMOTIONAL SOUTHERN SOUL | Full band, restrained gospel harmonies] December, don’t you dare Make me miss that man again. I’ve been learning how to live alone, Don’t make me learn it all again. Don’t you turn these pretty lights on Just to show me what ain’t there. I was almost getting used to this, December, don’t you dare. [OUTRO — ORGAN AND PIANO | Dry humor returns, quiet spoken-sung delivery] And if he calls on Christmas Eve… Well… I might just let it ring. [PAUSE — Phone vibrates softly. Janice sighs.] Who am I kidding? [Soft blues guitar resolves, sleigh bells fade.] December… You play dirty. [END]
