- Published on
Sappho's Twelve Days of Christmas Countdown - Day #8

I’m pretty sure I am an anomaly. Since Sufjan Stevens has come onto my radar every one who I have ever heard speak about him vehemently swings from devout liking to pretty vehement disregard. Not walk the same path of a take or leave it attitude toward him like I do. He’s prett much background music to me...except for this song.
“Christmas Unicorn,” a twelve and half minute anti-epic pop song that starts off in a folk style and builds to an electronic, symphonic climax. The album presents many styles of Christmas songs, including Bach chorales, hymns, original songs, “Jingle Bells,” and a New Order cover. This is a post-modern observation giving us all the ways expressions of Christmas are valid, no matter how commercial or humble. “Christmas Unicorn” synthesizes all these styles through the metaphor of the unicorn which I pretty take as a way of saying “hey, I think we’re all special.”
“Christmas Unicorn,” a twelve and half minute anti-epic pop song that starts off in a folk style and builds to an electronic, symphonic climax. The album presents many styles of Christmas songs, including Bach chorales, hymns, original songs, “Jingle Bells,” and a New Order cover. This is a post-modern observation giving us all the ways expressions of Christmas are valid, no matter how commercial or humble. “Christmas Unicorn” synthesizes all these styles through the metaphor of the unicorn which I pretty take as a way of saying “hey, I think we’re all special.”
To be quite honest, the part that really brings me the most joy in the song is when it finally breaks out into reprising “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” Nice way to sneak it in for a “religious” (Sufjan does not keep his faith separate from his music; his Christian beliefs inform his lyrics on occasion) song.