17 Days to Go
Case 1: Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town is one the KEY Christmas song , where it ushers in our red coated hero as he well comes into town. Either the best threat since "we won't stop until we get some" in a song.
You better watch out You better not cry Better not pout I'm telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town.
Hmm that's kind of worrying. Anyway , the song was written by James "Haven" Gillespie and was first performed in 1934 on where else, the TV of 1934 America, radio.
Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town!
He's making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice Santa Claus is coming to town!
He sees you when your sleeping , he knows when your awake , he knows if you been bad or good so be good for goodness sake! ,
Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town!
The season is near, the happiest time gotta bring cheer with every last dime, Santa Claus is coming to town!
We've gotta dig deep and cover the list, gotta see that nobody is missed, Santa Claus is coming to town!
Let's keep home fires burning , let's give with out a pause , let's prove to those less fortunate that there is a Santa Claus.
Oh the joy will be yours , that wonderful day, knocking on doors and shouting horray! Santa Claus is coming to town!
According to a book called "Stories behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas" by Ace Collins: The song was written by a guy you could say before this song was a one hit wonder writer and he turned to newspaper writing while trying to pitch a song that could picked up and made a hit. In 1933 Eddie Cantor, who had come a big comedy radio star and the highest paid at the time, had felt that the depression was well depressing (our terming not his) and that there needs to be happy Christmas song. He tried to write his own song but nothing really came off it , so he asked Leo Fist who was lying about the fact he had a Christmas song ready but he did know a newspaper writer (guess who?) .
The day Fist called Gillespie to write a song, he had just found out his brother had died. He refused the job after finding out it was to make a Happy Christmas song. He got in the subway and this changed everything (ah New York) he gave him memories of his brother and remember what his mother used to say about Santa Claus like he's always watching , be good and well you know the song. He had the words in 15 minutes and called a composer friend to get some music for this and the song became a hit! (or whatever word they used in 1934)
It is Kind of interesting that a jolly tune can from a sadness but it seems the sadness brought his memories and it made him work out something.
Christmas Book Recommendation
If you are really interested in the history of Christmas songs and their stories ,this is a really good ,easy to read book about the history of songs like "Santa Claus is Comin' to To Town", "Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer and over 30 more.
You can get it as an e book for $1.99 from Google Books or Amazon it also in paperback and hard cover, check any book store or Amazon for it.
Radio Station of the Day
CKRA is on 96.3 in Edmonton you can listen on their site here (like I said before , it works in the US) it's also on Tune in search CKRA.