Christmas songs have become so ubiquitous that we often sing them without wondering where they came from. If you’ve ever pondered on the backstory behind your favorite Christmas tracks, look to the list, below. Did you know the origin stories behind these festive classics?
Videos by American Songwriter
[RELATED: Country Christmas Music Roundup: 10 New Holiday Song from 2024 That Were True Gifts]
The Surprising, Tear-Jerking, and Odd Backstories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Songs
1. “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”
Songwriter Donald Gardner asked a group of students what they wanted for Christmas in the mid ’40s. Though they didn’t give a unified answer, the way they said it was enough to prompt him to write the humorous classic: “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.” Yes, the lisp many of the students had developed because of their missing teeth was the unlikely origin story behind this track.
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth
My two front teeth, see, my two front teeth
Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth
Then I could wish you Merry Christmas
2. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” has no trouble drawing a tear to the eye of anyone who listens to it. As it turns out, there is a good reason for the somber tone in the lyrics. The songwriters, Walter Kent and James Gannon, penned this track primarily for the soldiers left overseas during Christmas amid World War II.
I’ll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree
3. “Let It Snow!”
Anyone who has experienced a Californian heatwave will know the pleading desperation of “Let It Snow!” well. Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn wrote this familiar favorite amid a particularly scorching day out West in the early ’40s.
When we finally kiss goodnight
How you’ll hate going out in the storm
But if you really hold me tight
All the way home you’ll be warm
The fire is slowly dying
And, dear, we’re still goodbying
But as long as you love me so
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
4. “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
Many listeners have interpreted “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to be an analogy for the Catholic faith. The odd list of gifts is said to act as a stand in for the real gifts promised in the teachings of the religion. Though that theory remains unconfirmed, it’s easy to see the connection.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!
(Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.