All I Want For Christmas Is You - Living Body
The Principle of Least Interest says that the person who cares the least holds the balance of power in a relationship.
all I want for Christmas, she sings, after a minute of quiet introduction, is you
And then the sloppy drums kick in and, though her voice remains reverb’d into the distance, it all becomes so rollicking and cheerful. Mariah Carey doesn’t really tug at my heartstrings, but the contrast in this song does— what if… What if she doesn’t know?
I won't ask for much this Christmas / I won't even wish for snow
I'm just gonna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe
It's so reckless to offer that up! You’re just going to wait? And you’re telling them that? I mean, it’s important that they think you care at all, yes, obviously, but this seems to give them so much leverage.
I find it hard to let go of tracking the balance of interest in my relationships. There’s something seductive, in both directions, about seeming uninvested. People can play hard-to-get at me and win; I can’t hardly resist performing a lack of need.
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
I want to tell her to be more careful.
But maybe she already knows. The chorus sounds like a celebration. Maybe she wanted to say how much she cares, maybe all this unvarnished sincerity was worth giving up her leverage for. This song, in the end, make me envious.