It seems like each year I become emotionally attached to one song, this. It was released in December 1983 and charted at number 15 in the UK it has since been covered by Coldplay, Natalie Imbruglia and KT Tunstall (so not Hanson this time, who seem to have covered every other Christmas song known to man). Many of the songs are sentimental and can evoke memories. As always, Hynde’s voice steals the show and lends the song its beauty. It turns out that the song isn’t actually about a distant lover at all, but about the band’s guitar player, who had died in 1982 due to drug abuse. It’s also fairly simple in terms of structure, with the guitar repeating in circles in the background, but I think that’s what allows the emotion to come to the fore. Verse 1 He's gone 2,000 miles Is very far The snow is falling down It's colder day by day I miss you Chorus 1 The children were singing He'll be back at Christmas time Verse 2 And these. Possibly not their finest work in terms of lyrics (‘2000 miles is very far through the snow’ – er yes, indeed it is) the song nevertheless has a heartfelt quality to it that really shines through. The first Christmas song of 1983 is a beautiful but sad affair - and is really a mourning for those Pretenders no longer with us. The follow-up album, 1984's 'Learning to Crawl,' is considered among rock's greatest comeback albums, and Hynde continues to tour varying lineups of the band, which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.Today’s calendar selection seems, at first listen, to be a song about two lovers separated by a distance of 2000 rather snowy miles. My InterpretationFrom Wikipedia, Hynde wrote the song for her former bandmate James Honeyman-Scott after he died prior to beginning work on the bands third. (And as you likely know, the story of The Pretenders isn't really over, but it certainly has to be considered a happy ending. Hynde even re-recorded it herself in 2014.īut it's the original, with the poignant longing in Hynde's voice, that has stood the test of time. It's no wonder the song has become a holiday perennial, inspiring covers from the likes of Coldplay, KT Tunstall, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Natalie Imbruglia and Kylie Minogue, many of those for charitable causes. The beautiful guitar by Robbie McIntosh makes the perfect accompaniment to the longing in Hynde's voice. Whether through loss or circumstance, we've all had loved ones who've been away from home at Christmas, and this song speaks to that universally. Hell be back at Christmas time > VERSE 2 > In these frozen silent nights.

Knowing that background shouldn't really change your perception of the gorgeous, wistful song. 2000 Miles > The Pretenders (1983) (This whole song should be played on a. Happy Christmas Baby - The Pretenders 16,310 views 154 Dislike Share Save Tom Fudge 15 subscribers The title of this hard-to-find Christmas song might be wrong but no doubt who the. 100 Greatest Christmas Songs Ever (Top Xmas Pop Hits). lament for the then recently deceased Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott but the. Listen online to The Pretenders - 2000 Miles and see which albums it appears on. But Hynde wrote the song with Honeyman-Scott in mind. My easy choice for best Christmas-themed pop song of all time. Lyrically, most people assume it's about the distance between loved ones separated at the holidays. Considered a Christmas song, it has been released on various Christmas compilation. This song, '2000 Miles,' was part of how Hynde worked through it. 2000 Miles is a song by British-American rock band The Pretenders.

The pretenders christmas song