Photo Credit to Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig
After our last post, Fun Facts About the Top Christmas Songs of All Time, we learned from our readers that we missed quite a few popular Christmas songs. So we have decided to write a sequel. Here are more fun facts about popular Christmas songs.
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Although “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was first released by Brenda Lee in 1958, it did not hit the charts that year or the following year. By 1960, Lee became well known for other hits such as “I’m Sorry” and “Sweet Nothin’s” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” finally caught on to become a Christmas classic.
Frosty the Snowman
“Frosty the Snowman” was first recorded by Gene Autry as a follow-up to his successful recording of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” It is considered to be a Christmas song; however, Christmas is not mentioned once in the song.
Jingle Bells
The words and music for “Jingle Bells” were written by American Composer James S. Pierpont in 1857. The original title was “One Horse Open Sleigh.” The song contains a third verse which is rarely sung
Now the ground is white
Go it while you’re young,
Take the girls to night
And sing this sleighing song;
Just get bob-tailed bay
Two forty as his speed.
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack, you’ll take the lead
All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)
Donald Gardner wrote the story in 1944 while substitute teaching for a second grade class. His inspiration for the song came after asking his students what they wanted for Christmas. He couldn’t help but notice that nearly all of his students were missing at least one front tooth. He wrote the song in only 30 minutes.
Silent Night
The story of “Silent Night” began in modern-day Austria in December 1818. A parish priest named Josef Mohr was upset that his church organ broke and would not be fixed by Christmas. He told his friend, Franz Gruber who just so happened to be a headmaster and amateur composer. He took a Christmas poem that Josef had written him nearly two years prior and set it to music. That Christmas Eve, the church had music after all. Josef played his guitar and the pair sang the first “Silent Night.”
Did we miss any more popular Christmas songs? What are your favorites?
