Staff Editor on December 9th, 2019

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Leave it to Jesika von Rabbit to be subversive for the holidays. Her “re-imagined” version of Elvis’s 1957 classic, “Blue Christmas,” goes deep indigo in ways the King could have never dreamt. Directed by her visual comrade, Jessica Janos, the video features all sorts of luminaries from von Rabbit’s circle of talented weirdos, (comedian Larry CopCar, bandmate Lee Joseph, author and curator Paul Koudounaris, Nell St. John of Pretty Pirates, model and tattooist Tee Marie, etc.), who swirl about her cerulean fever dream about being crushingly solo for Christmas once again.

Written in 1948 by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson, the vintage country song bemoans the heartache of unrequited love. But true to form, von Rabbit makes the song her own, crooning like a ’50s Opry queen over throbbing electronica, while adding a kooky mid-song rap about Rudolph, Santa, Baby Jesus and Ebenezer Scrooge. Somewhere up there, Elvis is eating a fried peanut butter, bacon and banana sandwich, curling his lip and giving a big thumbs up.

||| Watch: The video for “Blue Christmas”