Little Saint Nick

Album

Single

Label

Capitol Records

Genre

Christmas

Duration

10:00

Composer(s)

Brian Wilson;Mike Love

Entered Chart

Jan 2, 2021

Peak Date

Jan 23, 2021

Released

December 9, 1963

Recorded

October 20, 1963 Studio Western, Hollywood

Catalog #

Capitol

B-Side

he Lord's Prayer"

Original Artist

2021-076

Cars were a common theme in early Beach Boys songs, notably "Little Deuce Coupe," which was the template for this song that envisions Santa's sleigh as a Nordic Hot Rod: candy apple red with a 4-speed stick. Brian Wilson wrote the song with Mike Love. For The Beach Boys' Christmas Album, the first side was original Christmas songs written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, and the other side contained traditional favorites like "Frosty The Snowman" and "White Christmas." >> The "Run run, reindeer" line was copped from Chuck Berry's song "Run Rudolph Run," where Berry sings, "Run run, Rudolph." By making the reindeer generic, The Beach Boys avoided copyright issues - Berry had to turn over royalties to his song to the creator the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story. This was used in a popular Coke commercial featuring a moment of Christmas cheer between animated polar bears and penguins. Hanson recorded this for their 1997 Christmas album Snowed In.

Ooh
Merry Christmas Saint Nick
Christmas comes this time each year
Ooh, ooh

Well way up North where the air gets cold
There's a tale about Christmas
That you've all been told
And a real famous cat all dressed up in red
And he spends the whole year workin' out on his sled

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)
It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

Just a little bobsled we call the old Saint Nick
But she'll walk a toboggan with a four speed stick
She's candy apple red with a ski for a wheel
And when Santa hits the gas, man, just watch her peel

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)
It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

Run run reindeer
Run run reindeer (whoa)
Run run reindeer
Run run reindeer (he don't miss no one)

And haulin' through the snow at a frightening speed
With a half a dozen deer with Rudy to lead
He's got to wear his goggles 'cause the snow really flies
And he's cruisin' every path with a little surprise

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)
It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

Ooh
Merry Christmas Saint Nick
(Christmas comes this time each year)

Ooh
Merry Christmas Saint Nick
(Christmas comes this time each year)

Ooh
Merry Christmas Saint Nick
(Christmas comes this time each year)