< Macy Gray's Christmas Wish List Has A Few Surprises

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Christmas is coming. And by now you've probably heard all the standards, whether you want to or not - the "Chestnuts," the "Jingle Bells," the usual deal. But if you are looking for something different and your politics lean left, then Grammy-winning soul singer Macy Gray has something for you. She's just released a new single that's getting buzz. It's called "All I Want For Christmas." And on her wish list for Santa are things like free health care, legalized marijuana and more forgiving immigration policies. Let's take a listen.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS")

MACY GRAY: (Singing) All I want for Christmas is a whole bunch of stuff. But anything that you can buy me won't be enough 'cause everything I'm hoping for is intangible, like free health care and gun control. If you want to make the world a better place, say all right, all right. If you want a peaceful world for Christmas Day, say all right, all right. Christmas is here.

MARTIN: Macy Gray wrote the song and sings it, as you heard. Backed by the Agape Youth Choir, proceeds from the single will go to benefit a charity that helps South Central Los Angeles youth. And Macy Gray is with us now from our studios at NPR West in Culver City, Calif., to tell us more about it. Macy Gray, thank you for speaking with us.

GRAY: Thank you.

MARTIN: So what was the inspiration?

GRAY: Just the world - you know, I was wanting to write a new Christmas song, and, you know, there's plenty of Christmas songs about love and Santa Claus and - and stuff like that. So my main thing was to just to come up with something different and fresh. And it just so happened that the timing was - with all that's going on today in the world and - when I went in the studio, that's kind of what came out was politics because they're just so all over the place at the moment.

MARTIN: And you've somehow managed to hit all of these things that are in the news right now. I'm going to play another little excerpt from the song where you specifically name Donald Trump.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS")

GRAY: (Singing) That Mr. Trump is an entertaining guy. But let's face it, really, is he qualified?

MARTIN: So tell me about that line in particular. What was on your mind when you wrote that?

GRAY: That's just how I feel about that whole Trump thing because, I mean, people have all kinds of opinions on who he is and things he says. But I mean, being a president is - that's the most important job in the world. And the guy that runs my country, I want him to know what he's doing - that's all I'm saying.

MARTIN: You know, well, it's interesting because...

GRAY: Or your girl, or your girl.

MARTIN: Well, so to that end, there's a woman running on both sides. Do you...

GRAY: I know.

MARTIN: ...Have a candidate?

GRAY: OK, so I love Bernie Sanders, but I'm a Hillary Clinton fan. I think she'd be awesome. And then if I had to pick a Republican, I would actually pick Jeb Bush (laughter). But I said that the very first debate because he's the only one that sounds like he knows what's going on. Like, if you really listen to him, he's the only one that, like, makes a little bit of sense up there, I swear.

MARTIN: Sometimes, you know, when artists want to express themselves politically, people don't appreciate that. Have your fans had anything to say to you about it? Or even fellow artists, what about them?

GRAY: Yeah, everybody's had kind of a comment. I got a lot of, like, you know, like, really right-wing crazy people on my Facebook. You know, but it was, like, stuff that wasn't nice, which I wasn't expecting because the song is really - it just opens up a conversation. It's just - if the world were perfect in my eyes, this is some of the stuff we would have - free health care, there'd be no guns and blah, blah, blah.

MARTIN: It's not all negative though, is it? I mean, some people like it, right? Don't a lot of your fans like it?

GRAY: Yeah, a lot of them do. But, like, I wasn't expecting this at all. Like, we didn't know how it would go, but everyone has a political point of view I think. So it's always odd to me that people expect if you're an artist, you're not supposed to have one or you're not supposed to speak out if you have one. And it's also kind of taken over - you don't hear some many political songs now because they are so kind of taboo. But I honestly think it's going to change. I think as an artist, you have to be part of the times. And if you are being honest creatively, then that's going to come out. So I just think with all that's going on, if you go in the studio and nothing comes to your head that's - that's political or social, that's - I think you're forcing it out of yourself.

MARTIN: Well, before we let you go, I do want to ask about - you're on tour for your most recent album, "The Way." One of the songs is about your fondness for an item that brings you joy. It's battery-operated, if that's a clue.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "B.O.B.")

GRAY: (Singing) He fits like a glove, always up for love, steady like a caterpillar, rabbit from a hat. He knows just where it's at. Give me what I want, and I want that.

MARTIN: What made you want to write a song about this intimate item?

GRAY: Actually, in the weirdest way, in the wildest way, that song is about female empowerment.

MARTIN: OK (laughter).

GRAY: It is. It's about women being able to express their sexuality. Like, if you're sitting with a man and he's talking about all the women he's been with - but if a woman says something like that, then she's - you know, she's not ladylike, oh, my God, you know what I'm saying? So it's just kind of this song that invites us all to be on equal ground, at least while you're listening to the song.

MARTIN: All right, that's Macy Gray. She's a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling artist. She has a new holiday song out. It's called "All I Want For Christmas." And she was kind enough to take time out from her holiday celebrations to join us at NPR West in Culver City, Calif. Macy Gray, thank you so much for speaking with us.

GRAY: Thank you so much.

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