Christmas Songs

The song, which is also subtitled “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” and originally subtitled “Merry Christmas to You”, was written by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé in 1945. The Nat King Cole Trio was the first to record it in 1946. And there have been, oh my, so many covers ever since, including Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Robert Goulet, Tony Bennett, and the list goes on and on. Rick Nelson recorded this pop Christmas standard in 1964, and his voice fits it beautifully.

Here are the lyrics to “The Christmas Song” by Rick Nelson:

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 aglow
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
Altho’ it’s been said many times
Many ways; “Merry Christmas to you”

For other songs by Rick Nelson: “Travelin’ Man,”  “Hello Mary Lou,” and “Garden Party.”

For More Golden Oldies Music

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop music, rock and roll hits, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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