"The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" Soundtrack Lyrics

"The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Original Soundtrack)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What happens when a space-mixtape franchise makes a Christmas special? You get a playlist that can deck a whole space-station. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special leans on two brand-new songs performed on-screen by the Old 97’s (with Kevin Bacon!), a fistful of deep-cut holiday tracks, and a compact caper score by John Murphy. The result is equal parts party and plot device: music that does things — distracts crowds, fuels chases, and lands emotional reveals.

Structurally, the special opens and closes with performance cues, bookended by Pogues melancholy and bar-bop cheer in the middle. Murphy’s score stitches it together with brisk, bell-flecked action motifs and warm, story-first mini-cues. It’s classic Gunn: crate-digging taste, diegetic swagger, and one original earworm you can’t shake by New Year’s Day.

Genres & themes in phases: alt-country holiday originals — community and comic warmth; indie/alt Christmas cuts — mischief and road-trip chaos; pop-punk and new wave — nightlife mayhem; orchestral caper score — rescue beats and found-family glow.

How It Was Made

Writer-director James Gunn chose the song palette early and then wrote the lyrics to the opener, “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here),” co-composed with Rhett Miller for the Old 97’s — who also appear as the alien band on Knowhere. The soundtrack album itself is tight: John Murphy’s score cues plus the two centerpiece songs, released digitally by Hollywood Records/Marvel Music on November 23, 2022 (a vinyl LP followed as a 2023 Black Friday RSD title). Music supervision is by Dave Jordan and Trygge Toven; score recorded at Abbey Road.

Tracks & Scenes

“I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)” (Old 97’s)

Where it plays:

Opening performance on Knowhere (~00:03–00:07). An alien busker band belts a hilariously wrong history of Christmas to cheer up Peter Quill. The camera roams the decorated marketplace as Guardians and locals clap along; full diegetic performance.

Why it matters:

Instantly sets tone: festive, self-aware, and story-forward. It’s the special’s thesis song and the album’s lead single.

“Christmas Wrapping” (The Waitresses)

Where it plays:

Drax & Mantis hit an LA bar (first act). The new-wave groove scores their tipsy detour — neon, laughter, and slightly chaotic dance moves — before the mission inevitably goes off the rails. Non-diegetic needle-drop riding the scene’s rhythm.

Why it matters:

Classic holiday cool that pairs perfectly with fish-out-of-water slapstick.

“Is This Christmas?” (The Wombats)

Where it plays:

Street-level Hollywood wander (early-mid). Montage of selfies, tourist traps, and map confusion as our duo hunts down a “perfect present.”

Why it matters:

Gives the search a cheeky Brit-indie bounce — seasonal but sardonic.

“I Want an Alien for Christmas” (Fountains of Wayne)

Where it plays:

Kevin-Bacon caper chase around his home (mid-special). Quick cuts, backyard fences, and a panicked phone call punctuated by comic beats.

Why it matters:

Most on-brand lyric in the set — and it turns a pursuit into a punchline.

“Fairytale of New York” (The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl)

Where it plays:

Credits bookends. The bittersweet classic rolls over opening and closing titles, giving the special a rueful, human frame around all the glitter.

Why it matters:

It’s the heart-tugger — a counterweight to the jokes and fireworks.

“Here It Is Christmastime” (Old 97’s & Kevin Bacon)

Where it plays:

Knowhere finale (late, then credits). Bacon joins the alien band on stage for a warm sing-along as the community gathers; reprises into the end crawl.

Why it matters:

Feel-good capstone that turns a running gag into genuine connection.

Score cues — John Murphy (“Chasing Kevin,” “The Best Christmas Present,” “Mantis Reveals Her Secret”)

Where they play:

Action spurts (chases, scuffles) get sleigh-bell percussion and nimble strings; character beats land with soft piano and glowing pads.

Why they matter:

They keep the special moving between song set-pieces — tight cues, big feels.

Also heard (not on the album):

Deep-cut seasonals like Hanoi Rocks’ “Dead by X-Mas,” Julian Casablancas’ “Christmas Treat,” Low’s “Just Like Christmas,” Smashing Pumpkins’ “Christmastime,” Little Jackie’s “Mrs. Claus.” Gunn released the full playlist separately; there’s no standalone “Awesome Mix” album this time.

Notes & Trivia

• Only the score + two originals made the official album; all the other needle-drops live on Gunn’s curated playlist.
• Old 97’s appear on-screen as an alien band; Kevin Bacon sings the finale take of “Here It Is Christmastime.”
• Murphy wrote the score while also scoring Guardians Vol. 3, keeping thematic DNA consistent across projects.
• Recording location shoutout: Abbey Road Studios for the score sessions.
• Vinyl heads: a splatter-color LP of the soundtrack arrived for Record Store Day Black Friday 2023.

Reception & Quotes

Reviewers called the soundtrack choices “party-ready deep cuts,” and singled out the Old 97’s opener as an instant seasonal earworm.

“A pleasing mix of familiar tracks and deep cuts — exactly the ‘cool older sibling’ Christmas playlist.” Den of Geek

“Two new songs performed on screen give the special its heartbeat.” Marvel.com feature

Availability: Digital soundtrack (12 tracks) released November 23, 2022; streaming on major platforms. A limited vinyl edition followed in November 2023.

Interesting Facts

• Mixtape twist: Unlike the mainline films, there’s no separate “songs” album — just the score + two originals.
• Playlist official: Gunn shared the full set as a Spotify playlist, mixing these cuts with earlier Guardians tunes.
• Bacon, charting: the finale track helped make Kevin Bacon a Billboard charting vocalist — for real.
• Knowhere carols: turning a street concert into plot propulsion is very Guardians — music as story engine.
• Bar banger: “Christmas Wrapping” practically choreographs the bar set — new wave meets MCU slapstick.

Technical Info

• Title: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Original Soundtrack)
• Year: 2022
• Type: TV/streaming special soundtrack — original score + two on-screen songs; additional licensed holiday tracks (playlist-only)
• Composer: John Murphy
• Music supervision: Dave Jordan; Trygge Toven
• Selected notable placements: Old 97’s opener on Knowhere; “Christmas Wrapping” — LA bar; “Is This Christmas?” — Hollywood wander; “I Want an Alien for Christmas” — home-invasion chase; “Fairytale of New York” — titles; “Here It Is Christmastime” — finale sing-along
• Label/album status: Hollywood Records & Marvel Music (digital, Nov 23, 2022); RSD Black Friday vinyl LP (Nov 24, 2023)
• Recording: Abbey Road Studios (score)

Key Contributors

Questions & Answers

Is there a full “Awesome Mix” album for the special?

No — only the score + two originals were released. The rest exist on Gunn’s official playlist.

Who wrote and performs the opening song?

Lyrics by James Gunn, co-written/performed by Old 97’s; they play the alien band on Knowhere.

What song does Kevin Bacon sing?

“Here It Is Christmastime,” performed with the Old 97’s during the finale and over credits.

Which classic tracks score Drax & Mantis on Earth?

Highlights include “Christmas Wrapping” (bar sequence), “Is This Christmas?” (Hollywood wander), and “I Want an Alien for Christmas” (home chase).

Who composed the score?

John Murphy — brisk, festive caper cues recorded at Abbey Road.

Sources: Wikipedia soundtrack/film entries; Film Music Reporter album notice; Marvel.com feature; NME/RadioTimes song lists; ScreenRant placements; IMDb Soundtracks; AFI listing (music supervisors); Record Store Day listing; Spotify/album pages; official Marvel YouTube trailer.

November, 28th 2025