William Burroughs “A Junky’s Christmas”

5 Great Christmas Tunes That Aren’t Really In The Christmas Spirit

I have a couple of musical Christmas traditions that I like to enjoy alone.

One springs from my childhood, when I used to listen to WBCN in Boston. On Christmas Eve, Oedipus, the Program Director, would send the staff home, and do the evening and overnight programming by himself.

When I became the Program Director at mvy, I made that my tradition too. I’m the only voice you hear on mvy, as Christmas Eve becomes Christmas Morn.

The other thing I like to do, is listen to a short story. It’s not for everyone, but actually, of all this week’s posts, it is the song that is most in the holiday spirit.

It’s writer William Burroughs, reading his story story “A Junkie’s Christmas” with music by Michael Franti’s early band The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy.

It’s Burroughs’ story of Danny The Car Wipe, his search for drugs on Christmas, and the Christmas Miracle that befalls him, due to his generosity.

And while a junky’s search for drugs isn’t exactly wholesome, the moral of the story actually makes this tune, the most traditionally Christmas spirited, of all song entries this week.



See a video version, that doesn’t have the music, but does have Burroughs himself, plus an animated telling of the story.