I was delighted to see the news on the front page of Times of India stating that the song "Last Christmas" by Wham! has been crowned this year's Christmas number one, 39 years after it was released.
I have loved this song ever since I first heard it which probably was in Singapore in 1985, if not earlier in Bombay. The three years we were in Singapore, it was being played all over malls and department stores particularly at Christmas time. I must have heard it hundreds of times and it remains a favourite of mine till date.
The song sung by Wham! which was a George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley duo, was released on 3 December 1984 and has an up-and-down history. After its release, it spent 5 weeks at no. 2 on the UK Single's Chart. Despite its appeal and popularity, it could not beat another Christmas song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?". The latter was a video recording conceived by Bob Geldof and Midge Urs who got 40 top singers together in a group titled "Band Aid" to raise funds for Ethiopian anti-famine efforts. Ironically, George Michael was part of Band Aid, preventing his own "Last Christmas" from rising to number one!
Thereafter, "Last Christmas" rose and fell on the UK Charts and till 2020, was considered the highest selling single never to top the charts. Then on New Year's Day 2021, 36 years after its release, it reached no. 1 for the first time. Thereafter, it has reached number one spot again in 2022 and now in 2023.
The song is universally popular and has reached the top spot in Scandinavian countries, Germany, Italy and many other European and non-European nations.
The video recording of the song is interesting. It features characters played by Michael and Ridgeley with their girl friends at a ski resort. It becomes apparent that the character played by Ridgeley's girl friend had a previous relationship with that of Michael's and she still seems to be somewhat indifferent towards the character played by Ridgeley. However, all is well at the end with both couples going off happily with their present partners.
And now the lyrics. The opening and refrain-
"Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special, special."
The bitter sweet line-
"Now I know what a fool I've been
But if you kissed me now
I know you'd fool me again!"
Merry Christmas!
P.S. Am I in good company listening to this 39 year old song? Well, according to the UK Official Charts Company, the song notched up 13.3 million plays during this year's Yuletide seven-day chart cycle, making it the most-streamed Christmas No. 1.
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