Watch: Coldplay Perform 'Christmas Lights' to Benefit Homeless Shelter

Coldplay performed their new single "Christmas Lights" live for the first time over the weekend. The gig probably spread a lot of holiday cheer: It was a benefit to raise funds for a new homeless center in the British city of Liverpool. Watch above as the group is joined at the end of the song by Gary Barlow from Take That and Chris Martin's dad dressed as Elvis.

Sufjan Stevens also has a new holiday release — the latest in a series of annual Christmas albums that he makes for friends. Stevens joined The National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner and Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Perry for two songs from the album during their set on BBC Radio over the weekend. [Via Pitchfork]

A much more misanthropic holiday spirit can be found on "Fuck This Christmas" from the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All collective. It is undoubtedly one of the few holiday songs in existence that features the words "Fuck Santa!" in the chorus. [Via Prefix]

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

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