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When it comes to iconic Christmas scenes in movies, no one throws a tree-toppling tantrum like the one Dawn Davenport throws when she loses her cha-cha heel in 1974’s Female Trouble, John Waters’ fifth feature. It’s no surprise, then, that Waters has been making art since Christmas, touring spoken word Christmas tours in cities across the country. Waters has even more reason to celebrate with the release of a new red vinyl 7-inch single, a cover of Little Cindy’s “Happy Birthday Jesus” on the A-side and “A Pig Latin Visit From St. Nicholas” on the B-side. If you’re still looking for a unique Christmas present, you might want to consider this record. As always, John was kind enough to make time for an interview ahead of his tour dates.

blade: John, in preparation for this interview with you, I listened to Little Cindy’s original rendition of “Happy Birthday Jesus” from your “John Waters Christmas” CD.

John Waters: One thing I did, I found myself stumbling in the same way. my I recorded what she did originally.

blade: It sounded to me like she was choking.

water: No, I think she’s just stumbling on a word, so I was stumbling on the same word. It’s appropriation, it’s messed up.

blade: Did you first hear this song when you were young or as an adult?

water: When I was working on my Christmas album, I had a friend named Larry Benicewicz. He was like my idea man when it came to music. He knew all the old records. When we were working on a soundtrack or a song about bears or a song about this, I said to him, “Weird Christmas song,” and he gave me all these tapes. That was one of the things he played for me. I knew a lot of the songs on the movies and records from when I was a kid. I didn’t know this, but I quickly accepted it. I don’t think it’s campy. I think it’s spiritual in a really weird way. my In doing so, it becomes a novelty record. I really prefer new records, but they’re not around anymore. Why haven’t there been any new records for coronavirus? That’s insane. The dance song “The Bug” from the Hairspray soundtrack is perfect for the coronavirus pandemic.

blade: What left an impression on me was the Christmas songs in children’s voices, with lyrics such as “If I’d been nice, you’d let me live with you” and “They nailed you to a cross, they wanted you to die,” giving it a kind of deathly melancholy.

water: Everything! When I see children kneeling before a naked man nailed to a cross at midnight mass, I feel like I’m in the Eagle. It’s SM&M, it’s creepy. I made a parody of the same jacket (pictured) from her record and put my face on it. I did the same thing last year when I covered The Singing Dogs’ version of “Jingle Bells.” I’m very interested in novelty records. I’m trying to get them back because I love them. no one expects that play These records. Even with The Singing Dogs, it was written, “Please don’t play this record.” [laughs]. And on the flip side, the Pig Latin version is almost impossible to listen to.

blade: I’m very happy to hear that. “Pig Latin Visitation from St. Nicholas” reminded me of the lost art of speaking in Pig Latin. I also remember watching the PBS series “Zoom” in my adolescence and learning how to speak “Ubi Dabi,” a distant relative of Pig Latin. Do you think it’s time for a Pig Latin or Ubi Dabi revival?

water: Here’s the problem: I couldn’t learn any languages ​​other than Pig Latin. I have been to every foreign country. Foreign countries gave me money to speak their language. Absolutely not! But Pig Latin…my parents and other parents in the ’50s spoke Pig Latin, so the kids couldn’t understand what they were saying. Then my mom taught me that, so I used it. The most difficult part of filming “Pink Flamingo” was not eating dog poop. It was when the cast skipped in one take saying, “Well, that, yay, they’re the oldest, fae, people, hey, hey, me, hey, idway, oldway.” We are, in Pig Latin, the filthiest people in the world. We had to do so many takes so they could do it once without messing it up. In “Polyester”, when Edith (Massey) answers the phone, she answers “Erohei”. I created a photographic work with subtitles all in Latin for pigs. Like “osebud-Ray” (from “Citizen Kane”) or “ella-Stay!” from “Streetcar.” [Laughs] All symbolic dialogue was translated into Pig Latin. My assistant who helped me with it had never heard of Pig Latin. She got really good at it because she lived in a lot of foreign countries. can Pick up language. But it’s not so easy to do and read correctly. Your computer will translate to Pig Latin.

blade: Can AI understand pig Latin?

water:It’s AI. It wasn’t 100% correct, but it was close. I can tell you if I see it, but only little by little. It was a challenge that probably no one cared about or wanted to take on.

blade: I think they did a very good job.

water: If you want people to leave on Christmas morning, wear it. Then you can ask the guest to leave. Let’s leave now.

blade: Oud gay eye bay! How did your relationship with record label Sub Pop, which released holiday singles in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025, come about?

water:I think the first thing I did for them was “Prayer to Pasolini.” They contacted me through Ian Brennan. He’s won several Grammy Awards in world music, but he’s also one of my agents who handles my Christmas tour, a lot of my shows, and anything music-related. He helped arrange each song. He was associated with Sub Pop. It was perfect. My friends from Baltimore, (the band) Beach House, had great success.

blade: Yes, they are appearing on Sub Pop!

water: yes! I’m glad to be able to participate. I even went to the warehouse and took pictures, like Jackie Suzanne used to do.

blade: Is it possible that “John Waters’ Christmas” will be reissued on vinyl by Sub Pop?

water: No, it’s a real nightmare to get the rights and renew them. You have to find a publisher and a writer, and they usually hate each other. It doesn’t matter if it’s unknown or famous, it’s hard to come by. I have to make a deal. Singers don’t get anything unless they play on the radio. It’s going to be very complicated legally and things like that. [laughs] Small audience for it. I hope it comes out again. The same goes for Valentine’s Day. I had two of them and they worked very well when they were released. “A Date with John Waters” and “A John Waters Christmas.” The John Waters Christmas album is still the soundtrack that plays when people come into the theater when I do spoken word Christmas shows.

blade: Besides your annual Christmas show tour, what do you do on your days off now? Are there any traditions you pass down from your family?

water: surely! There are four of us, my two sisters, my brother’s widow, and myself, and we take turns having Christmas dinner every year. Mine was last year. Full sit-down dinner. Mom’s china, silverware, and entire dinner. It’s pretty traditional. We don’t have a Christmas tree, but we will decorate the electric chair from Female Trouble. that teeth It’s a tradition in my family. We also have Christmas decorations, but they’re usually weird things that fans have sent us. It depicts all kinds of amazing events, like God knocking down the Christmas tree and the Christmas tree being lit. There’s definitely a tradition here, and while it may be a little quirky, it’s definitely a tradition. We used to hold a large party every year, but due to the coronavirus, that has stopped. I still don’t want 200 people breathing in my house.

blade: I was looking at your tour schedule and wondering if there are any new cities added to this year’s schedule that have never had a John Waters Christmas show.

water: I don’t think there’s a city in America that I’ve never played a show in! The only places I’ve never been to are Hawaii and Alaska. You can do it there too, but it’s too long on tour. I can’t think of a city in America that hasn’t played in the last 50 years. The Christmas show is completely different every year. It doesn’t matter if you saw it last year or not.