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Holiday Stampede
Tight electric riffs, we're ready to ride,
Buckle up, it's a rollercoaster, let’s take this stride.
I walked in loose, headphones beltin’ in my ears,
Boots shinin’, swagger risin’, dressed cool sharp.
Motion gates swung like a bull chute snapping wide,
I’ll play Moses, move this Red Sea with a cart.
A jackpot rodeo in a holiday stampede,
Every cart in the ring thinks it’s born to lead.
Clowns to the left of me, cowboys to the right,
Stop-start moving obstacles in my line of sight.
Aisles shakin’ like a carny ride that’s short on bolts,
Carts fishtail wild and rattle like a snake.
Kids dartin’ left n right, supercharged on sugar volts,
My Moses swagger is fallin’ fast — this was a huge mistake.
A jackpot rodeo in a holiday stampede,
Every cart in the ring thinks it’s born to lead.
Clowns to the left of me, cowboys to the right,
Stop-start moving obstacles in my line of sight.
I’m boxed in now, stuck behind a coupon war at the till,
Scanner beeping slow like fate wants me standin’ still.
Roulette numbers climbing high for a carny ride I didn’t take,
Lord help me, bustin’ three years sober is a sacrifice I can’t make.
A jackpot rodeo in a holiday stampede,
Every cart in the ring thinks it’s born to lead.
Clowns to the left of me, cowboys to the right,
Stop-start moving obstacles in my line of sight.
So hold on tight, let the music unfurl,
This holiday stampede is a wild, wild world.
With heart on the line, and dreams in the mix,
In a jackpot rodeo, we’re takin’ our licks.
STORY BOARD
SONG OVERVIEW
Written and produced by Tasmanian Songwriter Jason Bresnehan, Holiday Stampede is an upbeat 70s-inspired rock and roll holiday anthem built around driving electric guitars, a propulsive rhythm section, Hammond organ textures and a powerful male vocal that turns a routine shopping trip into a full-scale Christmas adventure. The song captures the chaos, humour and unpredictability of the holiday season through the simple act of trying to buy groceries in a crowded supermarket.
The lyrics follow an overconfident shopper who enters the store believing he can conquer the seasonal crowds before being rapidly overwhelmed by runaway trolleys, sugar-fuelled children, traffic jams in the aisles and checkout delays. Beneath the humour sits a recognisable truth: Christmas often arrives with as much chaos as celebration.
A SUPERMARKET RODEO
At the heart of Holiday Stampede is the idea that holiday shopping can feel less like a routine errand and more like a sporting event. The supermarket becomes a rodeo arena where every shopper believes they have right of way and every trolley is competing for position.
The recurring chorus transforms ordinary shopping into a spectacle:
"A jackpot rodeo in a holiday stampede,
Every cart in the ring thinks it's born to lead."
The imagery is exaggerated for comedic effect, yet instantly familiar to anyone who has attempted holiday shopping in the final days before Christmas.
CHRISTMAS CHAOS
The song celebrates the absurd moments that emerge when large groups of people are pursuing the same goal at the same time. Motion gates become bull chutes, supermarket aisles become carnival rides and checkout queues become tests of patience and endurance.
As the song progresses, the narrator's initial confidence steadily erodes. The self-appointed Moses who planned to part the Red Sea with a shopping cart soon finds himself trapped in queues, navigating obstacles and questioning the wisdom of the entire expedition. The humour comes from recognising ourselves in the situation.
MUSICAL DIRECTION
Holiday Stampede combines driving electric guitars, a strong late-60s and early-70s rock and roll groove, Hammond organ textures and a broad male lead vocal to create a sound that feels energetic, playful and larger than life. The arrangement is built around a steady rhythmic pulse, punchy guitar riffs and a locked-in rhythm section that carries the listener forward with the same momentum as the shopping crowds described in the lyrics.
As the song develops, guitar licks, organ fills and increasingly powerful vocal performances build towards an anthemic singalong chorus. A gritty yet charismatic male vocal drives the story while the classic rock instrumentation delivers a sense of swagger and humour. The result feels like the soundtrack to a holiday adventure gone completely off the rails, full of movement, energy and Christmas-season madness.
THE ARTWORK
The artwork brilliantly visualises the central metaphor of the song by transforming holiday shopping into a literal rodeo. In a dusty arena packed with spectators, a cowboy armed with a lasso wrestles for control of a supermarket trolley loaded with goods while a brightly dressed rodeo clown challenges him from across the ring. Dust fills the air as sunlight pours over the scene, creating the atmosphere of a major sporting contest.
The image perfectly captures the song's "jackpot rodeo" concept. The supermarket trolley becomes the equivalent of a rodeo animal, the shoppers become competitors and the entire holiday season becomes a contest of endurance, patience and survival. The exaggerated humour of the scene reflects the playful nature of the lyric while reinforcing the idea that Christmas shopping often feels like organised chaos performed before a crowd. The artwork transforms an ordinary everyday experience into an epic western-style spectacle, matching both the song's humour and its larger-than-life storytelling.
PERSONAL CONNECTION TO JASON BRESNEHAN SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER
The inspiration behind Holiday Stampede came from a real shopping trip. What began as a simple visit to buy groceries quickly became an exercise in navigating crowded aisles, overloaded trolleys, long queues and the unique energy that arrives whenever large numbers of people prepare for Christmas at the same time.
While moving through the supermarket, Jason found himself observing the strange combination of determination and chaos unfolding around him. The experience felt less like shopping and more like participating in a carnival ride, a sporting contest and a traffic jam all at once. The phrase "holiday stampede" emerged from that observation and quickly became the foundation for the song.
Although humorous throughout, the song reflects something familiar about the Christmas season. People willingly endure the crowds, delays and frustrations because they are preparing for family gatherings, celebrations and shared experiences. The chaos becomes part of the tradition. Holiday Stampede captures that reality with a sense of amusement, recognising that the road to Christmas is often just as memorable as Christmas Day itself.