I will never understand why this Christmas song goes so hard.
OKAY MOTHERFUCKERS LISTEN UP
BECAUSE THIS SHIT IS NOT CAROL OF THE BELLS
IT IS CHRISTMAS EVE/SARAJEVO 12/24 AND IT IS SO MUCH FUCKING MORE THAN CAROL OF THE BELLS.
so during the bosnian war (which was this nasty-ass conflict in bosnia and herzgovina) there was this badass cello-playing motherfucker named vedran smailovic. He was from Sarajevo, was upset about all the shit and nastiness that came about through this war (this was full-on brother-killing-brother shit!) that he went around to bombed-out, blown up buildings and funderals––where he was at risk of FUCKING SNIPER FIRE––and playing the cello. This guy was so set on providing one tiny spot of beauty in a seriously nasty war he was risking being fucking SHOT OR BLOWN UP.
AND THIS IS THE GUY WHO INSPIRED THIS SONG.
He’s why there’s the calm cello part at the beginning before everything gets all violent-sounding. It’s THEMATIC.
THAT’S WHY THIS CHRISTMAS SONG GOES SO FUCKING HARD.
WHY ISN’T MORE CHRISTMAS MUSIC LIKE THIS?????
There’s the wikipedia article about him and yes…true story…
It’s also important to understand that Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 was not originally a Trans Siberian Orchestra song. It was originally recorded by Savatage, a metal band, for their concept album “Dead Winter Dead,” and when some Savatage members formed TSO, they adopted that song as a TSO song because yeah it’s fucking amazing.
Friendly reminder that this exists.
Friendly reminder that Vedran’s performances also included a pile of rubble that used to be a fountain IN THE CENTER OF A TOWN SQUARE WITH NO COVER.
When asked years later why he’d down something so apparently suicidal, he shrugged and replied that it was his way of proving that “the spirit of humanity was still alive in that place, despite all evidence to the contrary.”
May we all be as brave and stalwart in protesting violence and injustice as Vedran “The Most Bad-Ass Cellist Ever” Smailović.
Also, despite what some articles may say, Vedran was not an old man when this happened. He’s only in his early 60s today, which would have made him no older than 37 when he was playing in the ruins of Sarajevo. Never let anyone tell you it’s only old men who can make a difference.
