(If you’d like to read the other days, you can do so by clicking here. Don’t forget I’m making a playlist in Spotify as we go through this series, you can subscribe to here.)
Who doesn’t need a little smile, something a little lighter today? In fact, every day? So, turn up the volume on your speakers, and enjoy a few fun Christmas songs!
An interesting side note, both of our songs for today were written by Johnny Marks, a fact I didn’t know until after I had selected them for the same day.
Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer
Rudolf was originally created as a character for a coloring book published by Montgomery Ward. There were a couple of other names that Robert May considered for Rudolf including Rollo and Reginald. I’m glad he chose Rudolf. Reginald, would be hard to work into the song. “Reginald won’t you guide my sleigh tonight” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
In 1949, May’s brother-in-law wrote the song which Gene Autry recorded and eventually went on to sell more than 25 million copies of the record.
I do have one concern. In the stop animation movie, and ever picture you see, Rudolf’s nose is barely lit. If his nose is bright enough to guide Santa’s sleigh through fog and clouds, wouldn’t it be blinding up close?
Regardless, kids love this song. We all loved to sing it when we were kids and my kids love to sing it this day.
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Also written by Johnny Marks, was first released by Brenda Lee in 1958. One of our favorite uses of this song is in the Movie, “Home Alone.” Didn’t we all fantasize about getting left home alone as kids? So we could do everything that Kevin did. Stay up late watching rubbish and eating garbage.
It’s a fun scene from the movie and a fun song to play at a Christmas party to get things rolling!
