let’s listen to the Thanksgiving Song while being The Thankful Kind, then we’ll break out our Stretchy Pants when we Gobble Gobble!

Hello, Monday peeps! It’s here, it’s here! Thanksgiving week is here! Hopefully, you all have amazing plans this week. I’ve been working too many hours each week, so I personally am looking forward to having a bona fide 4-day weekend—that break is long overdue, let me tell you. 😉

Since it is Monday, you know that Monday means music! This week’s theme is “The 11th month of year is considered bleary, lets share cheery songs of happiness and gratitude”. Let’s get this cheery (and thankful) party started!

Let’s start with a song from this artist’s holiday-themed album he released 5 years ago (Nov 13, 2020). This song is the only original song on this album. He said:

“I wanted to give it a chance to get out into the world before the rest of the record, and hopefully give people a little more time to hear and enjoy it. I also wanted to give Christmas music purists [like my wife Hillary] who want to save Christmas music until after Thanksgiving something to listen to and get in the holiday spirit.”

For the artist, who has three kids total (a daughter and twin boys), the holidays are an important time for them to bond and create new traditions. The whimsical lyric video for the song, which perfectly encapsulates all the warm feelings of the holiday as the tune’s lyrics splash across various Thanksgiving scenes, was a team effort.

“My team and I all felt like the song was really special, and we knew we wanted to make a video for it. But between just my wife and I just having had twins, COVID, and the short timeframe we had to work with, the likelihood of pulling off an entire music video that would do the song justice felt super unlikely.”

So a member of his team came up with the idea to create the fun lyric video, which the artist and his crew were so happy they decided to do.

Without further ado, here’s Ben Rector with “The Thanksgiving Song“:

Next up is a song from an artist I’d never heard of – could be because he’s not ‘mainstream’, and works as a Senior Director of IT for Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, but writes and produces music as a ‘creative outlet’. I stumbled across this song he posted on YouTube about a month or so ago – and I’m hooked! You will be, too.

Here’s Sam Capshaw with “The Thankful Kind”:

Next up is a song that has become a tradition to share each year since it came out from one of my favorite artists (an American Idol Alum). This one definitely makes me giggle each time I listen to it; I know you will giggle, too!

Here’s the amazing Carrie Underwood with “Stretchy Pants”:

Last but certainly not least is a fun song from this Christian musician who has won multiple Dove Awards and an American Music Award, and was nominated for five Grammys. Sometimes fans buy tickets to his concert based on their enjoyment of this particular song, even though it’s likely it won’t ever win any honors.

The official video for the Thanksgiving-themed “silly song” was released in the fall of 2020, depicting the artist wearing a turkey outfit and dancing around a table as he sings about cranberry jelly, gravy boats, and dinner rolls. The artist began singing silly songs when he was a new artist and didn’t have a record deal. He said:

“I was an independent artist traveling around playing college campuses, and a lot of times the colleges would set me up in an area of the campus where there really wasn’t an audience. People were just walking by and so I would play my normal songs, and maybe one or two people would come. And then to try to get people’s attention, I would just start making up a song about some college kid who, you know, was stuffing doughnuts in his face or something. And the crowd would start to gather. And I always remembered that.

Over the years, as my career has progressed, I started to realize how humor can play a really important role in music.”

Musicians “can take ourselves too seriously,” and silly songs are a way to stay grounded and connected with fans. He wrote this song in honor of Thanksgiving. He says:

“I wrote it simply because it gave me and my family a much-needed laugh. I hope in its own weird way, ‘[this song]’ can put a smile on your face and remind you and your family that even in the heaviest of years we have much to be thankful for.”

Get ready for some fun; here’s Matthew West with “Gobble Gobble”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

Now, onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Moves Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!