Song of the Day: Saint Etienne “I Was Born on Christmas Day”

There is a surprising cavalcade of musicians born on Christmas Day: jazz vocalist and bandleader Cab Calloway, Eurythmics front woman Annie Lennox, keeper of the keys Jimmy Buffett, jazz trombonist and bandleader Kid Ory, Pogues frontman Shane McGowan, and Saint Etienne founding member Bob Stanley. But only Bob Stanley wrote a sparkling gem of a pop song about it.

Featuring guest vocalist Tim Burgess of The Charlatans dueting with lead singer Sarah Cracknall, “I Was Born on Christmas Day” debuted in December 1993 and reached #37 on the UK Singles Chart. The band admits to having higher hopes for the song (a Christmas #1 single) as is evidenced by the catchy melody and ebullient dance production.

Chart success being relative (and fleeting), the band created a modern holiday classic while surely the actual Christmas 1993 number 1, “Mr. Blobby” by Mr. Blobby, isn’t nearly as fondly remembered at the holidays.

Here’s the single in its full glory:

And here’s a Top of the Pops live performance from December 1993: