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‘John Denver & The Muppets’ is the Greatest Christmas Album of All-time

Somber but hopeful, it’s far more than just Christmas music

I grew up during the peak Muppet years, that period between the mid 70's and the late 80's, and they loom large in my memories of childhood. Naturally, we had the Muppets Christmas record and would play it endlessly. It was the first Christmas CD I bought for myself once I moved out and needed seasonal music of my own. It remains a tether to all that was and can now only be faintly glimpsed.

I’d always come for the Muppets side of the equation – we literally called it the Muppets Christmas album – but as I got older, I began to appreciate John Denver’s tracks. There is something beautiful and haunting in ‘A Baby Just Like You’, a song he wrote to his son. A father myself now, these lyrics stir some nameless thing inside of me: nostalgia for the past, grief for the loss of innocence, the hope for my children, the recognition of my own mortality.

The Christmastime when I was young The magic and the wonder But colors dull and candles dim And dark my standing under

Oh little angel, shining light You’ve set my soul to dreaming You’ve given back my joy in life You’ve filled me with new meaning

The entire album is full of such melancholic beauty. Despite the Muppets’ colorful presence, I wouldn’t call this an upbeat album. It is often a bit dour and serious, though never pessimistic. A current of hope runs through all the songs. It is surprisingly mature for an album song in part by puppets.

The fun songs are those headlined by the Muppets. Their rendition of Little Saint Nick is the best one going (sorry Beach Boys, but you can’t top Animal yelling ‘run run reindeer’). But those aren’t the songs I turn toward now. These days I gravitate to John’s solos, or ones with the Muppets in a clear supporting role.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas — with Rowlf on the piano, matching John’s quiet melancholy.

The Peace Carol — a wistful song about the peace of Christmas, backed by Muppets and banjos.

Where the River Meets the Sea — a duet with Gonzo that nonetheless evokes a serious, Country Western vibe.

Medley: Alfie the Christmas Tree / It’s in Every One of Us — the first half is a spoken poem I don’t mind, but the real star here is John’s rendition of It’s in Every One of Us, sung with an open-hearted optimism.

Silent Night — a somber twist on an old favorite that opens with the Muppets singing in hushed German, John interjects with the story of the song’s creation, and then he joins the Muppets in finishing the song in English. The final verse is both beautiful and haunting. John sings like I imagine angels must.

For all that John Denver love, it is actually the Kermit solo number that wins my heart. The Christmas Wish is backed up by the Muppets but this is clearly Kermit’s song, sung in the wavering but steady, longing but hopeful way that only he can.

Even though I never saw a Christmas star I know there is a light I have felt it burn inside

I suppose it’s a bit weird to be moved by a puppet. I know the words are actually being sung by a puppeteer, that Kermit the Frog isn’t real, but damn if this song doesn’t make me believe in him. I too have felt it burn inside, and every time Kermit says that line I come a bit undone.

I can’t listen to this album now without thinking of John’s tragic death. I was in college when he died and distracted by everything it entails. I don’t remember being too upset about his passing at the time, but his death has grown outsized in the years since, once I rediscovered him through this album. I think about Zachary, little no longer – did he find all the things his father hoped for him? I wonder how his children remember John now, and if they listen to this album at this time of year, and if they feel the same sharp yearning for the past that their father did. And I wonder how my own children will recall me when I’m gone.

These are the things this album does to me.

There’s a good chance this isn’t your favorite Christmas album. Maybe you had to grow up with Muppets to hold it in such affinity as I do. But it remains some of the most beautiful and stirring music I have ever heard, and the fact that it’s sung by Muppets only makes it more magical. I think especially in 2020, we could all use some of the world-weary hope that John Denver & The Muppets evoke.

I’d like to leave you with this stanza from The Christmas Wish as sung by Kermit the Frog:

I would like to say a simple prayer That at this special time you will have true peace of mind And joy to last throughout the coming year

Merry Christmas.

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