Category: Christmas Music

Brenda Lee – Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree

Brenda Lee was only 13 years old when she recorded this song. Recorded in October of 1958 at Owen Bradley’s studio in Nashville. The song was written by Johnny Marks. It would be one of the first stereo recordings to come out of Nashville. The song did not sell well until Brenda Lee had gotten more popular. In 1960 it reached #14 on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop singles chart. It peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Christmas singles chart in 1965. SoundScan has estimated total sales of 1,000,000 digital downloads in 2016.

From Wikipedia.

The song’s declaration of a rock and roll sound notwithstanding, its instrumentation also fits the country music genre, which Lee more fully embraced as her career evolved. The recording features Hank Garland and Harold Bradley on guitar, Floyd Cramer on piano, Boots Randolph on sax, Bob Moore on bass, and veteran session player Buddy Harman on drums. The song is written in the key of A-flat major.
An instrumental version of the song appears as background music in the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which exclusively featured music written by Marks. It can be heard in the scene where Rudolph first arrives at the Reindeer Games and meets another reindeer named Fireball. A fully sung version of the song would later appear in Rankin/Bass’s 1979 sequel Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. The song was also used in the 1990 film Home Alone during a scene when Kevin McCallister pretends that there is a holiday party taking place in his house, and discourages the burglars from robbing it.

Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree

Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie
And we’ll do some caroling
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear
Voices singing, let’s be jolly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancin’ merrily
In the new old-fashioned way
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear
Voices singing, let’s be jolly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancin’ merrily
In the new old-fashioned way
Songwriters: Johnny Marks

Stevie Wonder – Someday At Christmas

The title song from his 1967 album. The song reached #17 on Billboards Hot 100 chart on December 18, 2015

From Songfacts

This was written by Motown songwriters Ron Miller and Bryan Wells, the team that also wrote Wonder’s songs “A Place in the Sun” and “Yester-me, Yester-you, Yesterday.” They wrote it for Wonder’s Christmas album, which contained several Christmas standards mixed with some new songs.
This is one of the first Christmas songs with a social and political message. Released during the Vietnam War, it takes a stand for peace and for equality and compassion. John Lennon sent a similar message in his 1971 song “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).”
In late 2015, Wonder performed the song with Andra Day for an Apple TV commercial. In 2016.

Someday At Christmas

Someday at Christmas men won’t be boys
Playing with bombs like kids play with toys
One warm December our hearts will see
A world where men are free
Someday at Christmas there’ll be no wars
When we have learned what Christmas is for
When we have found what life’s really worth
There’ll be peace on earth
Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where men are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime
Someday at Christmas we’ll see a Man
No hungry children, no empty hand
One happy morning people will share
Our world where people care
Someday at Christmas there’ll be no tears
All men are equal and no men have fears
One shinning moment my heart ran away
From our world today
Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where men are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime
Someday at Christmas man will not fail
Hate will be gone love will prevail
Someday a new world that we can start
With hope in every heart
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime
Someday at Christmastime
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bryan Wells / Ronald Miller

Donny Hathaway – This Christmas

This is my contribution to Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week’s prompt… Christmas/Holiday/Snowman

The song was released as a single on December 9, 1970.  The song had reached #38 on Billboards Hot 100 chart on December 13, 2019. This is the very first time the original version has been on the Hot 100 chart.

From Songfacts

Hathaway wrote this soulful Christmas song with Nadine McKinnor. It evokes the spirit of the holiday, as he’s looking forward to spending the season with friends and family. In the memorable chorus, he sings:

And this Christmas, will be
A very special Christmas, for me
Like many Christmas songs, this one took a while to find an audience. Released as a single in 1970, it went nowhere, but later became a modern holiday standard, covered by a wide range of artists including Destiny’s Child, Aretha Franklin and Lady Antebellum. Chris Brown.

This Christmas

Hang all the mistletoe
I’m gonna get to know you better
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it’s gonna be together
This Christmas
Fireside’s blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me
Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer, and you
This Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town, they do
This Christmas
Fireside’s blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me, Yeah
Shake a hand, shake a hand now
Fireside’s blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me
Merry Christmas
Shake a hand, shake a hand now
Wish your brother Merry Christmas
All over the land now
Yeahhh
Merry Christmas
Merry, Merry Christmas
Yeahhh
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: HATHAWAY DONNY E / MC KINNOR NADINE

Bobby Helms – Jingle Bell Rock

The song was recorded in October of 1957 at Owen Bradley’s studio in Nashville, TN. It peaked at #6 on Billboards Best Sellers chart and #13 on Billboards Most Played C&W by Jockeys chart.

More from Wikipedia.

“Jingle Bell Rock” has been performed by many, but Helms’ version is the best known. The song’s title and some of its lyrics are an extension of the old Christmas standard, “Jingle Bells“. It makes brief references to other popular songs of the 1950s, such as “Rock Around the Clock“, and mentions going to a “Jingle hop“. An electric guitar played by Hank Garland can be heard playing the first notes of the chorus of “Jingle Bells”. Backup singers were the Anita Kerr Quartet.

Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
What a bright time, it’s the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That’s the jingle bell rock
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
What a bright time, it’s the right time
To rock the night away (rock the night away)
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That’s the jingle bell
That’s the jingle bell
That’s the jingle bell (rock)
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Woah