Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole, Music Video, Lyrics and Review

“The Christmas Song” is a classic Christmas song, written in 1944 by vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé , the song was written during a blistering hot summer. In an effort to “stay cool by thinking cool,” the most-performed (according to BMI) Christmas song was born.

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song Lyrics

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping at your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright,
Tiny tots with their eyes all a-glow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa’s on his way
He’s loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh,
And ev’ry mother’s child is gonna spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I’m offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although it’s been said
Many times, Many ways
Merry Christmas to you.

[musical interlude]

And so I’m offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although it’s been said
Many times, Many ways
Merry Christmas to you.

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song Review

The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the song early in 1946. At Cole’s behest (and over the objections of his label, Capitol Records), a second recording was made the same year utilizing a small string section, this version becoming a massive hit on both the pop and R&B charts. Cole re-recorded the song in 1953 and again in 1961, using the same arrangement with a full orchestra; the latter recording is generally regarded as definitive and continues to receive considerable radio airplay each holiday season, while Cole’s original 1946 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974. Mel Tormé himself eventually recorded his own versions in 1954 and again in 1965.

The song is typically subtitled with its opening line (”Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”); in some cases, most notably with Cole’s recordings, the song’s closing line (”Merry Christmas to You”) is used as a subtitle instead.

First recording: Recorded at WMCA Radio Studios, New York City, June 14, 1946. Not issued until 1989 on the album Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits (1935-1954) Rhino R1 70637(LP) / R2 70637(CD). The King Cole Trio: Nat King Cole, vocal-pianist; Oscar Moore, guitarist; Johnny Miller, bassist.

source wikipedia.org

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 at 4:39 pm.