Christmas is a scam. You already knew that, right? The twinkle of lights, the forced smiles, the “Happy Holidays!” whispered with the heat of a broken refrigerator. It’s a circus. But there is beauty in melancholy, in looking out the window with a cup of now cold tea, and thinking: “But who made me live this farce?”.

If you’re one of those who adores the sweet desperation of the holidays, or maybe just the bizarre and out-of-place side of Christmas, this is the compilation for you. Eight songs that you won’t find in the playlists of those who dream of a white Christmas with Michael Bublé, but which will slide into your ears like a cup of whiskey warms your heart.

The songs from the compilation

Sufjan Steven, “That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!”: This is not a song; it’s a confession. Sufjan whispers in your ear the story of a disastrous Christmas, made up of lost looks and subdued pain. It’s like reading a stranger’s diary and discovering that it’s about you.

• Low, “Just Like Christmas”: An almost playful rhythm hides a palpable nostalgia. It’s not about Christmas, but about how it feels when your memory tricks you and makes you believe that the past was better. Spoiler: it wasn’t.
• Coldplay, “Christmas Lights”: Chris Martin and company didn’t invent Christmas melancholy, but they made it mainstream. A hymn to the Christmas lights that hide the darkness. Listen to it under the tree, with a tear sliding down your face.
• Fleet Foxes, “White Winter Hymnal”: A choral song that doesn’t even accidentally mention Christmas, but evokes winter so vividly you’ll feel the cold on your face. It’s mystical, hypnotic, almost sacred.
• Fall Out Boy, “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out”: Finally, someone has the courage to say that Christmas can suck. A letter full of cynicism and sarcasm, ideal for those who feel trapped between relatives they can’t stand.
• The Killers, “Don’t Shoot Me Santa”: Brandon Flowers plays a criminal who tries to convince Santa Claus not to kill him. Surreal, theatrical, and decidedly outside the box.
• The Pretenders, “2000 Miles”: If you’ve ever spent Christmas apart from someone you love, this song will break your heart into a thousand pieces. And you will like it.
• Sufjan Stevens, “Christmas Unicorn”: A musical delirium that starts as an innocent ballad and turns into poetic chaos. If Christmas had a nervous breakdown, it would sound like this.

A Christmas to survive

These are not songs; they are polaroids of emotions you don’t want to admit you feel. Each piece is a pang in the heart or a bitter laugh, the sound of an imperfect celebration in a world desperately trying to be happy. Put on this compilation, light the tree, turn off the phone. You don’t need anything else, just yourself and these eight songs that remind you that Christmas, like life, is a wonderful mess.

Happy listening and merry Christmas, melancholy asshole.