A Holiday Song, and Its Predecessor
Olivia Rodrigo's "take me home (4 christmas)" connects with The Waitresses' 1981 "Christmas Wrapping," as its writer Chris Butler weighs in on shared vibes and influence.
Tracklist
- take me home (4 christmas) — Olivia Rodrigo
- Christmas Wrapping — The Waitresses
Transcript
take me home (4 christmas) — Olivia Rodrigo
Before Olivia Rodrigo released “take me home (4 christmas),” Chris Butler, who wrote the Waitresses’ 1981 “Christmas Wrapping,” remembers getting an email he thought was fake. It claimed to be from Rodrigo, praised his band, and invited him to hear a Christmas song she’d written. Butler looked her up and wrote back that he’d be honored to listen. He says they later met after her show in Columbus. Hear take me home (4 christmas) by Olivia Rodrigo.
Christmas Wrapping — The Waitresses
When someone suggested Olivia Rodrigo should’ve given Chris Butler a writing credit, the songwriter of the Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” saw it differently. Butler said the two songs shared a “vibe,” but Rodrigo’s song didn’t copy the melody or chord progression of his. Hear Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses.
Butler agreed when someone called Rodrigo’s song an homage, and said their similar vibes were fine with him. You’ve heard both songs now. What do you hear between them?