ELVIS PRESLEY - HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS

HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS

ELVIS PRESLEY

SONGWRITERS: GENE AUTRY & OAKLEY HALDEMAN

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: BLUE CHRISTMAS

LABEL: TSK MUSIC

GENRE: CHRISTMAS SONG

YEAR: 1992

 

             Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known simply as Elvis, was an American singer, musician and actor. He is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century and is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King". His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to great success—and initial controversy.

          Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience. Presley, on rhythm acoustic guitar, and accompanied by lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage him for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll.

          (…) With his rise from poverty to significant fame, Presley's success seemed to epitomize the American Dream. He is the best-selling solo music artist of all time, and was commercially successful in many genres.(…)

          "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)" is a Christmas song originally written and performed by Gene Autry, with music composed by Oakley Haldeman. Autry's original recording (in which he pronounces Santa Claus as "Santy Claus") was a top-10 hit on the pop and country charts; the song would go on to be covered many times in the subsequent decades.

             Autry got the idea for the song after riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade (now the Hollywood Christmas Parade) in Los Angeles, during which crowds of spectators chanted, "Here comes Santa Claus". This inspired him to write a song that Haldeman set to music. Autry's lyrics combined two veins of the Christmas tradition, the mythology of Santa Claus and the Christian origin of the holiday (most explicitly in its mention of the nativity promise of "peace on Earth" to those who "follow the light"). A demo recording was made by singer/guitarist Johnny Bond, whose recording made use of ice cubes to mimic the sound of the jingling sleigh-bells. This inspired the use of real sleigh-bells in Autry's own recording of the song.

            Autry first recorded the song in 1947; released as a single by Columbia Records, it became a Nº. 5 country and Nº. 9 pop hit. Autry performed the song in his 1949 movie The Cowboy and the Indians. He re-recorded it again for Columbia in 1953 and, once more, for his own Challenge Records label in 1957, which released it on more than one album that year.

             Other artists to record the song include Doris Day (1949), Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters (recorded May 10, 1949), Elvis Presley (1957), the Ray Conniff Singers (1959), Keely Smith (1960), Alvin and the Chipmunks (1961), Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans (1963), Hank Thompson (1964), in excerpt by The Beach Boys as part of their song "Child of Winter" (1974), Willie Nelson (1979), Glen Campbell, RuPaul, The Wiggles (1997), Billy Idol (2006), Bob Dylan (2009), Mariah Carey (2010), Chicago (2011), the Glee cast (2013), Anna Kendrick (2015), and Pentatonix (2018). In 1988, "Here Comes Santa Claus" was featured in Very Merry Christmas Songs which is part of the Disney Sing Along Songs collection. The song was also featured prominently in the popular Christmas movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation during the climax towards the end of the film. The version of the song used was Autry's 1957 Challenge Records recording. 

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,

Right down Santa Claus Lane.

 

Vixen, Blitzen, all his reindeer

Pulling on the reins.

Bells are ringing, children singing,

All is merry and bright.

Hang your stockings and say a prayer,

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

 

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,

Riding down Santa Claus Lane.

 

He's got a bag that's filled with toys

For boys and girls again.

Hear those sleigh bells jingle jangle,

What a beautiful sight.

Jump in bed and cover up your head,

Because Santa Claus comes tonight.

 

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,

Riding down Santa Claus Lane.

 

He doesn't care if you're a rich or poor boy,

He loves you just the same.

Santa knows that we're God's children,

That makes everything right.

Fill your hears with Christmas cheer,

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

 

Well, here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,

Riding down Santa Claus Lane.

 

He'll come around when the chimes ring out

It's Christmas morn again.

Peace on Earth will come to all

If we just follow the light

Let's give thanks to the Lord above,

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.