The Perfect Music Playlist for Your New England Thanksgiving
When it comes to holiday music, it seems like we jump right from Halloween to Christmas.
Stuck in the middle like a turkey (or tofurkey) on a dining table is Thanksgiving. And it seems like there are only two memorable songs that celebrate the holiday, both written by New Englanders.
In the early '90s, Manchester, New Hampshire, native Adam Sandler performed “The Thanksgiving Song” on “Saturday Night Live” (during the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, anchored by fellow New Englander Kevin Nealon).
Sandler often prefaces the song by noting how there aren’t a lot of songs celebrating the holiday. Other than “Over the River and Through the Wood,” there aren’t a lot out there.
But that, too, was composed right here in New England.
Poet Lydia Maria Child was a noted Boston poet in the mi d-1800s. The writer and activist sought to compose a piece reflecting on her fond memories of visiting her grandfather’s house in Medford, Massachusetts, as a child, according to her Wayland Historical Society biography.
The song started out as a poem called “The New England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day,” and was published in 1844.
According to The Poetry Foundation, the original version of “Over the River” also contains the lyric “to Grandfather’s house we go.”
New England has a strong hold on songs celebrating under-appreciated holidays. In addition to Child and Sandler (one of three New Hampshire natives to score big on SNL's Weekend Update), one of the most famous Halloween songs was also composed by a Massachusetts native.
While "Over the River and Through the Wood" is a nice sing-along for families, there are many classic hits that can enhance your New England Thanksgiving experience…