Something a little different for music Monday today: an exhortation to get thee to iTunes and buy White Wine in the Sun, by Tim Minchin. Tim Minchin is donating the proceeds from sales of this song to a secular charity (while he hasn’t specified which charity, he is awesome and thoughtful, and I feel confident he’ll make a good choice).

So why this topic today? It follows this tweet from Minchin:

Pls RT! From Nov21-Jan1, all proceeds from my version of White Wine in the Sun will go to a secular charity. http://tinyurl.com/whitewine

White Wine in the Sun was included on a Christmas album produced to raise money for the Salvation Army. A number of whackaloons have their collective knickers in a knot about the lyrics of the song, deeming it offensive and referring to it as “a sick joke”.

From memory, herewith some of the offensive lyrics:

I’m not expecting big presents.
The usual combination of socks jocks and chocolates is just fine by me.
‘Cause I’ll be seeing my dad.
My brothers and sisters, my gran and my mum.
They’ll be drinking white wine in the sun.

Bloody hell that’s terrible, right?

What they’re actually worked up about is lines like:

I am hardly religious…

…

I don’t go in for churches. Some of the songs have nice chords but the lyrics are spooky.

…

I’m looking forward to Christmas.
Though I’m not expecting a visit from Jesus…

Thin-skinned much? Because Tim Minchin isn’t hiding his atheism, it’s a sick joke that he sings a song about liking Christmas? Come on!

He even comments against the commercialisation of the religious significance:

I have all the usual exceptions
To the commercialisation of an ancient religion
To the westernisation of a dead Palestinian press-ganged into selling playstations
And beer

I’m the same as Minchin on this, and like him I say: “But I still really like it”. 8)