Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ~ Isaiah 7:14
Christmas Song Lyrics Compiled by Charles P. Scott
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Lyrics
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw him
You would even say it glows
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolf
Play in any reindeer games
Then one foggy Christmas eve
Santa came to say
"Rudolf with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer
You'll go down in history!
About This Song
After the success of Here Comes Santa Claus, every songwriter on the planet was imploring Gene to record his or her marvelous Christmas composition. He received hundreds of lead sheets and home recordings, all of which he carefully studied.
Ina Autry, to whom Gene was married for nearly a half century, was an individual possessing both charm and superb judgment, and was as well-loved by fans and industry personnel as was the cowboy himself. When Gene passed on Johnny Marks' "Rudolph" in the belief that the song did not suit his image, Ina urged him to reconsider. She loved the line about Rudolph's exclusion from "reindeer games" and felt that the "ugly duckling" theme would appeal strongly to the young-at-heart.
Ina's advice was as sound as ever. Gene's 1949 platter became the biggest seller the Columbia label had ever known. It reappeared on the charts each Christmas season for several years, and the 1957 remake for his own Challenge label was likewise a hit. Although the lyric has no connection with cowboys or country & western themes, the simple tale of the physically challenged reindeer remains Gene Autry's all-time biggest seller.
