Celebrate a Texas Christmas with this holiday playlist

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. While we may not have a white Christmas in all of North Texas this year, it will still be plenty cold — but hopefully that won’t hinder any celebrations.

To help you celebrate, we thought we’d put together a Texas-centric holiday music playlist. Every song on this list was either written or performed by a Texan, and — whenever we could find it — a Fort Worthian.

We started off at 12, because of the 12 days of Christmas (which start on Christmas Day, and not on December 13), but you’ve been so nice this year, we threw in an extra three. Scroll all the way to the bottom if you want to get to the Spotify playlist, and tell us your favorite in the comments.

Happy listening!

1. “Pretty Paper,” Willie Nelson

Since 1963, we’ve heard Texan songwriter Willie Nelson’s sad ballad “Pretty Paper,” plucking heartstrings with a lyric about holiday shoppers rushing past a disabled street vendor selling “pretty paper, pretty ribbons” for pennies while crawling “all alone on a sidewalk” downtown. But did you know the song has a Fort Worth connection?

2. “If We Make It Through December,” Pistol Annies

Technically, this song was written by Okie Merle Haggard, but this version — performed by the Pistol Annies, led by Longview’s own Miranda Lambert — adds an organ and makes it a bit more melancholy.

3. “Present Without a Bow,” Kacey Musgraves and Leon Bridges

A twofer, as Fort Worth’s Bridges joins Golden’s Musgraves for an original holiday song that perfectly combines both of their musical sensibilities.

4. “Christmas Time (Is Here Again),” Spoon

Another cover, but I think it’s in the Texas journalism bylaws somewhere that if you’re making a Texas music artist listicle, you have to include Spoon. Them’s the rules.

5. “It’s Not Christmas ‘Til You Come Home,” Norah Jones

Play this in the background of your fancy Christmas dinner for a classy time.

6. “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here),“ Old 97’s

Have you seen the new “Guardians of the Galaxy” Christmas special? Did you recognize the band in the background? That’s right, it’s the Old 97’s, and they released a whole new set of holiday songs for the TV special’s release, including this jovial little romp.

7. “Merry Christmas From the Family,” Robert Earl Keen

Besides “Pretty Paper,” Robert Earl Keen’s ode to messy families everywhere is probably the Texas holiday song people remember the most. The holidays mean family, for better or worse, no matter if you can’t remember how you’re kin or if your parents get drunk.

8. “Happy Holidays Y’all,” Robert Earl Keen

The less-known sequel to “Merry Christmas from the Family,” featuring the aftermath of the aforementioned family gathering. “Last night we all sang Jingle Bells and opened up our hearts/This morning our house looks like hell, or possibly Wal-Mart.”

9. “Merry Christmas Strait to You,” George Strait

It’s also in the Texas journalism bylaws that you have to include King George in any mention of Texas music. Strait has released two Christmas albums in his storied career, but this one is probably the most recognizable.

10. “I’ve Longed For Christmas,” Los Lonely Boys

Everyone knows “Heaven.” The 2008 Christmas album from the San Angelo trio is full of great originals like this, plus new spins on old classics.

11. “Jingle Bell Blues,” Billy F Gibbons

ZZ Top’s frontman delivers a bluesy rendition of “Jingle Bells” the only way he knows how.

12. “8 Days of Christmas,” Destiny’s Child

Beyoncé has never released a Christmas album, nor does she need to. She is richer than god herself. But she did release a holiday album with Destiny’s Child in 2001. It’s a fun time capsule — one of the gifts mentioned is a gift certificate for buying CDs.

13. “The Corner Store on Christmas,” Bowling For Soup

Denton’s favorite pop-punks give an exhaustive looks at a Texan corner store version of “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

14. “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” Elmo & Patsy

Elmo Shropshire and his wife Patsy Trigg are from Kentucky. But the impossible-to-get-out-of-your-head tale of Christmas’ most unfortunate drive-by was written by Dallas folk singer Randy Brooks in 1977 as a way to get a Greenville Avenue crowd’s attention.

15. “Merry Texas Christmas Y’all,” Asleep at the Wheel

Finally, this Texas classic has been covered by lots of artists, but the original version came from a Dallas department store executive in 1952.