Holiday commute
Gift wrapping on a caboose!
Welcome to “Stocking Stuffer” and thank you for listening. Merry Christmas and happy holidays. If you have any questions, comments, concerns or praise, please email me at ctoner@gmail.com or call or text at (773) 957-2068. I’d love to hear from you. ❤️
One more thing: at different points in the album, my uncle, Larry Toner, tells a story about discovering that Santa Claus didn’t exist when he was a child in Aberdeen, South Dakota. If you have children who still believe in Santa Claus, send them to a different room while you listen to this record.
Enjoy.
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Credits for "Stocking Stuffer"
Music by His Enemies
Holiday Commute I
Casey Toner: Guitar, vocals, songwriting
Andy Boyle: Guitar
AJ LaTrace: Guitar
Vincent Caruso: Bass
Wesley Schaff: Drums
Bre Walk: Backup vocals
"Jackson Street in Aberdeen South Dakota"
Casey Toner: keyboard
Larry Toner: narration
Christmas in Nightmare City
Casey Toner: Guitar, backup vocals, arrangement
Andy Boyle: Guitar
AJ LaTrace: Guitar
Vincent Caruso: Bass
Wesley Schaff: Drums
Bre Walk: Backup vocals
Steven Arroyo: Saxophone
"Nightmare City" by Advance Base, "Animal Companionship," 2018
"There Seemed to be an Unusual Activity"
Casey Toner: keyboard
Larry Toner: narration
Hey Li Lee
Casey Toner: Guitar, vocals, bass
Larry Toner: Vocals
William Toner: Vocals
Wesley Schaff: Drums
"Hey Li Lee Li Lee" by The Limeliters, "Tonight: In Person," 1961
Hey Li Lee Ho (Elves Seize the Means of Production)
Andy Boyle: Vocals (narrator/elf chatter), songwriting
Casey Toner: Vocals (elves), songwriting, guitar
Bre Walk: Vocals (reindeer)
Vincent Caruso: Bass
Steven Arroyo: Saxophone
Wesley Schaff: Drums
AJ LaTrace: Guitar
Chorus from "Hey Li Lee Li Lee" by The Limeliters, "Tonight: In Person," 1961
"Looked to Me Like ... Toys"
Casey Toner: keyboard
Larry Toner: narration
Holiday Commute II
Casey Toner: Guitar, vocals, songwriting
AJ LaTrace: Guitar
Vincent Caruso: Bass
Wesley Schaff: Drums
Recorded at Toner Studios, Smash Studios, Arroyo Studios
Production by Casey Toner
Art by Dan Hinkel
Additional notes:
My extended Toner family in California used to have a tradition everyone would gather around in my grandparents’ living room and sing made up “Hey Li Lee Li Lee” verses, which is a song by the Limeliters. I often spent my Christmases out there so I have great memories of singing the song with my family. My Dad, William Toner, and his brother, Larry Toner, provided some vocals on a fast and quick take on the song. “Hey Li Lee” is dedicated to the Toner family: past, present and future.
“Hey Li Lee Ho (Elves Seize the Means of Production)” is a riff on “Hey Li Lee Li Lee” that was a collaboration between Andy Boyle and myself. As we were jamming out the tracks in the studio, Andy began throwing out some funny verses and I added my own and later smoothed everything out. It goes out to the union workers of America especially my brothers and sisters at SAG-AFTRA. The fight never ends.
Lyrics
Holiday Commute I
Taxi redirected off the drive
At Lake Shore and Belmont
The traffic is jammed going through
We're headed towards Wrigley it's the 12 Bars of Christmas
Santas are out getting stewed
Holiday Commute
Gift wrapping
On a caboose
An elf runs wild
Wearing only one heel
A sloppy reindeer throws a punch
What's the meaning of this, I mumble all to myself
Cabbie waves his head in disgust
Holiday Commute
Gift wrapping
On a caboose
Cabbie says so long goodbye
The daylight is dying
I'm going home to my family
I hope that you will find
What you've been looking for
Holiday Commute
Gift wrapping
On a caboose
The Music Box Theater
On a Saturday Night
Sold Out Crowd
It's a wonderful life!
Holiday commute
Gift wrapping
On a caboose
Holiday commute
Gift wrapping
On a caboose
(Say it again now)
Holiday commute
Gift wrapping
On a caboose
(One more time)
Holiday commute
Gift wrapping
On a caboose
(Oh yeah)Nightmare City
Heater’s blowing in the car
over the sound of a college game
Don’t know the team names
but it’s nice to have a voice on
Didn’t mean to drive so far
but you just had to get away
Walked in circles round the house all day
til you had to turn some lights on
Stopped for half a tank of gas
plus some Skittles & a diet Sprite
Could’ve stared at the beers all night
but you noticed the clerk was watching
Gary’s beautiful at night
by the lights of the refinery
It’s like Christmas in Nightmare City
It’s absolutely shocking
What do you call what you are now
Three months dry & gaining weight
Wondering how long it’s supposed to take
before you feel stronger
before you feel stronger
before you feel strongerHey Li Lee Ho
Hey Li Lee Li Lee Li Lee
Hey Li Lee Li Lee Ho
Hey Li Lee Li Lee Li Lee
Hey Li Lee Li Lee Ho
We are here to tell a story
One we think you all know
About a jiggling jolly fat guy
Who lives in the North Pole
Santas got a great gig going
He works one day a year
The Elves are slaving every day,
Isn't that a little weird?
One year the Elvish freshman
Joined a progressive club
They checked out books by Saul Alinsky
To or-gan-ize the schlubs
Then one day they got another
By a bearded Austrian
It was called Das Capital
They knew where to where to begin
It is called collective bargaining
It has worked out oh so swell
We can use our union power
To tell Santa to go to
Hey!
Hey li le li lee li lee
Hey li lee li li ho
Hey li lee li Lee lee
Hey li lee li lee ho
Santa went and hired lawyers
Who handle this sort of thing
They said you have to make them go to
Mandatory training
Two weeks later they came to work
And all the doors were locked
Santas hired dwarves for scabbing
And so they fought
Santa Claus miscalculated
Because these are working elves
They brought their hammers and handsaws with them
And they started cracking skulls
Reindeer came around the corner
They were nine deer strong
Dancer Prancer Comet Vixen
Rudolph asked them, "Hey, what's wrong?”
We strike now in solidarity
To show him we have no fear
Santa can't build this toys without us the
Deer in red gave out a cheer
Help us seize the means of production
That way we'll all get rich
The elves and reindeer stormed the workshop
Taking control of every switch
Hey li lee li lee li lee
Hey li lee li li ho
Hey li lee li lee li Lee
Hey li lee li lee ho
Well uh what do we do now?
I think it's time for … contract negotiations?
*Elf chatter*
Viva la revolucion!
A victory for one is a victory for all!
You have nothing to lose but your chains!
Santa still enjoys his treasure
Like all the bourgeoisie
But now the elves can live a life with
A little more luxury
In the end San-ta did give them
More than they would have made
Elves and Reindeer making it happen
Weekends off and holiday pay
Hey li lee li lee li lee
Hey li lee li li ho
Hey li lee li lee li Lee
Hey li lee li lee ho
Holiday Commute II
All you can take with you
Is that which you've given away
George Bailey where have you gone
George Bailey where have you gone
George Bailey where have you gone
I walk out feeling numb
Cleaned out down to the studs
America you've broken my heart
In shambles, I walk alone
Past Greystones and six flats
The snow a quiet drone
The tree gleams from my window
Merry Christmas, I'm finally home