Silver and gold, silver and gold
Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold.
How do you measure its worth?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth.
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Mean so much more when I see.
Silver and gold decorations,
On ev'ry Christmas tree.
About This Song
"Silver and Gold" is a song written by Johnny Marks for the 1964 Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It is sung by Sam the Snowman following Yukon Cornelius' introduction, during which some forest animals decorate a nearby tree. Prior to the decision for the special to have a narrator, Yukon was originally intended to sing it.
Johnny Marks, the New York-based songwriter behind some of the most-loved Christmas songs of the past 100 years, penned the Ives classic. Marks also wrote "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Ives standard "A Holly Jolly Christmas," Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," one of many holiday tunes popularized by Bing Crosby.