‘Tis the Season to Sing Along

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Photo by: Nutmeg Designs

Doesn’t everyone know the lyrics to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” even those, like me, who can’t carry a tune?

Had a very shiny nose,

It’s played day after day every year during the holiday season.

And if you ever saw it,

You would even say it glows.

And it’s a favorite, full of high spirits, except for a little bullying.

All of the other reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names;

Rudolph was almost called “Rollo” or “Reginald” before his first appearance in a coloring book distributed by Montgomery Ward in 1939.

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games.

The story has since been told and retold in comic books, children’s books, and TV specials.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say,

Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy, was the first to record the song in 1949.  His version reached No. 1 on the Billboard pop singles chart that year, eventually selling 25 million copies.

Rudolph with your nose so bright,

Musicians as diverse as Alvin and the Chipmunks and Harry Connick, Jr. have also recorded the song.

Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?

It’s amazing how a little publicity can turn things around.

Then how the reindeer loved him

As they shouted out with glee,

And the grand finale…

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,

You’ll go down in history.

After a musical interlude the whole song, except for the introduction, is repeated.  Oh, what’s the introduction?

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,

Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen.,

But do you recall?

The most famous reindeer of all?

All together now.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer….

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Here are The Temptations, as the California Raisins, singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs–phzj2TQ  Smooth, so smooth.