five fun facts about music and giving thanks

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio

It happens every Thanksgiving. Someone brings up politics when they know the person across from them holds opposite views and will argue. Somebody else tells a wildly inappropriate story. Then there’s that family friend or family member who asks a bunch of uncomfortable questions. Put a stop to it all and change the subject in a hurry by blurting out one of these five fun facts about giving thanks….and music. 

There are Thanksgiving holiday songs

Most of us expect to hear Christmas songs as soon as we get up from the table on Thanksgiving day, if not before. Thanksgiving songs are rarely played, and almost never heard on the radio or at holiday programs, but they do exist. 

“The Thanksgiving Song” by Ben Rector is written from the point of view of someone driving back into their hometown for a family Thanksgiving dinner. The lyrics mention filling your plate, seeing children grow up, and being reminded of those who have passed on. In the chorus, Rector sings, “Thank God for this Thanksgiving day.” 

“Thanksgiving Song” by Mary Chapin Carpenter echoes similar themes of traveling to be with family and gathering around a table. While it does not directly mention Thanksgiving as Rector’s song does, it does refer to everyone gathered around a table, making it clear that it is a song about the holiday itself, not simply a song about gratitude every day. 

The singers in your family or friend group won’t be able to do it well right after the Thanksgiving dinner 

Eating a bit too much seems to happen at every Thanksgiving dinner. The foods are ones we don’t get to eat all the time, the house is full of enticing scents, and everyone is relaxed and happy….or stressed about having to spend all evening with their annoying relatives. Nearly everyone feels lazy after all the food is gone, but the singers in the group will find their abilities temporarily lessened as well. 

Some of this impairment comes from the same discomfort everyone feels after a full meal. Singing requires focus, and it’s hard to focus on what you’re doing with a bloated or aching stomach. For singers, posture is also important, with bending, hunching, or slouching making it more difficult to sing. An overly full stomach further restricts breathing by restricting diaphragm movement (Mar).

Listening to music that relates to something we are grateful for can boost overall mental health 

Music has long been known to have a powerful impact on our emotions. Some people find listening to happy or upbeat music keeps their mood elevated or lifts their mood. Others find music that matches their mood, even if that mood is irritable, angry, anxious, sad, or despairing, has a cathartic effect, allowing them to work out those upsetting thoughts and feelings without acting out. 

It should then come as no surprise that spending some time listening to music that helps us generate feelings of gratitude can provide a huge boost to our overall mental well-being. Deeper than simply reciting things we’re thankful for, an outlook that centers around gratitude involves walking in the knowledge that we are blessed in many ways, and feeling deep appreciation for those blessings. This approach to life results in lower levels of stress, depression, and anxiety, leading to improved overall mental health.  
Choosing songs that remind us of our blessings can both enhance our feelings of happiness, joy, and love that we feel when we think of them and help us work through any issues in those areas, leaving us simply thankful that we have something to cherish. 

Musicians Miley Cyrus and Natasha Bedingfield both have birthdays that can fall on Thanksgiving 

Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday in November. This has been a part of American culture since 1942, President Roosevelt having signed a joint resolution setting the holiday the previous December. Because the dates change, Thanksgiving can fall anywhere from November 22 to November 28 in any given year. 

Pop singer Miley Cyrus, most famous for her 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball” was born on November 23, 1992. Natasha Bedingfield, best known for 2004’s “Unwritten” was born on November 26, 1981. 

There is a scientific explanation for why Thanksgiving chores seem more pleasant if they are done to music.

No matter how much you love Thanksgiving, there is likely something about the holiday that is a chore for you. Not everyone enjoys traveling, decorating, cooking, baking, cleanup, or post Thanksgiving shopping. We all know that listening to music during these less than pleasant portions of the holiday season can help make them better, even fun, but you may not know that you have neuroscience backing up your insistence on keeping the radio on in the car or starting your playlist before you start the dishes. 

Listening to music releases a brain chemical called dopamine. Like most brain chemicals, dopamine has various functions, but it is best known as the one that causes the feeling of being rewarded. Our brains were literally designed to experience music as something to be prized. 


All of us at Phoenix Radio are thankful for every one of our broadcast listeners and web page readers. Happy Thanksgiving from The Heat Squad.

















Works Cited

Mar, E. Does having a full stomach effect singing? Should you eat before or after you sing? Music stuff for music lovers. Does Having A Full Stomach Affect Singing? Should you eat before or after you sing? November 28, 2025