Must Be Santa (song) facts for kids
Must Be Santa is a fun Christmas song written by Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks. It was first released in November 1960 by a musician named Mitch Miller. A year later, another singer, Tommy Steele, released his own version, which became popular in the UK.
The song is based on an old German drinking song called "Schnitzelbank." "Must Be Santa" is set up as a call and response song. This means one singer asks a question, and a group of singers answers it. For example, the lead singer might ask, "Who laughs this way, ho ho ho?" and the chorus replies, "Santa laughs this way, ho ho ho!" After a few questions, the song lists all the things mentioned so far, like "Ho ho ho, cherry nose, cap on head, suit that's red..."
Bob Dylan's Unique Version
In November 2009, the famous singer Bob Dylan released his own version of "Must Be Santa." His song mixes two music styles: polka and klezmer. He was inspired by a band called Brave Combo, who had a similar arrangement.
Dylan's version is special because it mixes the names of Santa Claus's reindeer with the names of several United States presidents. For example, you might hear "Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen / Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton." People wondered if Dylan was celebrating Christmas or just having fun with the song's simple style.
The music video for Dylan's "Must Be Santa" was directed by Nash Edgerton. It shows Dylan lip-syncing the song at a lively Christmas party. The video was very popular, getting over seven million views on YouTube by Christmastime 2021.
She & Him's Christmas Party Song
The indie folk duo She & Him also recorded "Must Be Santa" for their 2016 album, Christmas Party. Their version was inspired by Bob Dylan's song. They updated the list of presidents to include Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. This version was recorded in the summer of 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Must Be Santa para niños
