But of course I was lying yesterday. Christmas isn't always much fun as these tunes show. People get drunk, they fall out and they row, but at least they do it with their loved ones. Elvis Costello & the Chieftains - The St. Stephen's Day MurdersWorth checking out the lyrics on this one. I particularly like "There'll be laughter and tears over Tia Marias,Mixed up with that drink made from girders.’Cause it's all we've got left as they draw their last breath." This is what Christmas were like when I was a kid, but most of the protagonists are dead now, or watching telly. (This track appears as a bonus on Elvis' most schziophrenic album - Mighty Like A Rose. Not his most immediate of albums - but give it a decade or so and it'll grow on you). The Handsome Family - So Much Wine Brett and Rennie Sparks have a Jack and Meg White "are they aren't they married" thing going on. Sounds like Christmas is a ball round their house.Red Star Belgrade - Christmas DayI think I bought this record because the band's name (they hail from the same North Carolina area as the equally wonderfully monikered Kingsbury Manx). The album is pretty bogstandard alt-country, but this track stands out. If there's one thing I've learnt it's that all promises turn out to be lies - EVEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY or opps Mum's been at the cooking sherry again! Cheer up you miserable sod it's Christmas. LinksVisit: Elvis Costello(Official), Elvis Costello (Unofficial - not updated lately)The Chieftains, The Handsome Family (Official), The Handsome Family (Unofficial) and Red Star Belgrade.Buy: Elvis Costello, The Chieftains, The Handsome Family and Red Star BelgradeDownload More: Elvis Costello (mostly, Real Audio) Handsome Family @ Epitonic, and Red Star Belgrade