Merry Christmas to our readers around the world. Below is one of the classic Christmas songs, appropriately titled, “The Christmas Song.”
You have to wonder whether other songwriters were jealous when songwriters Bob Wells and Mel Tormé named their song “THE Christmas Song.” How could anyone come up with a more definitive title for a Christmas song than this one first published in 1945?
But then you hear Nat King Cole sing it, and you finally understand why it is “THE Christmas Song.”
Cole recorded the song several times during his career. He first recorded it in early 1946 as part of The Nat King Cole Trio, but later that year Cole asked to re-record it with a string section. It was that second version that became a massive hit. Cole recorded it again in 1953 with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. A version we often hear was recorded in 1961 with an orchestra conducted by Ralph Carmichael.
According to Wikipedia, Tormé later added a coda to the ending of the song, adapting the words from “Here We Come A-wassailing.”
Love and joy come to you;
And to you your Christmas too;
And God bless you and send you a happy New Year;
And God send you a happy New Year.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)