If
you’re looking for an additional ukulele Christmas song to add to your usual “Jingle
Bells” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” list, check our “Chestnuts Roasting
on an Open Fire” ukulele video tutorial. Start practicing and you’ll have it nailed
in time for Christmas! Also join our poll on the video on which pop song you’d
like ukulele lessons on.
We worked on this ukulele tutorial for “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” or more popularly called “The Christmas Song” because it would be a great addition to the usual Christmas songs we have like “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” or “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells”.
It’s interesting to learn that the inspiration for “The Christmas Song” was initiated during a scorching summer in 1945. You’d think that a song for a winter holiday would be naturally inspired by the season itself or related ideas to it. But according to the ones who wrote the song, it just started as some scribbles on a spiral pad describing the coldness of winter as a way to cool off on one summer day.
Bob Wells had a few lines written about winter and Christmas but was not actually intending them for a song and left them lying on his piano. Mel Tormé found these writings, added music and more lyrics to it and this meaningful and reminiscent holiday song was born. With its thoughtful lyrics and relaxed melody, it does bring good cheer and Christmas spirit to “kids from one to ninety-two.”
Nat King Cole with his guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Johnny Miller first recorded the song in June 1946 but this version was not released until 1989. Their second recording in August 1946, which included a String Choir, was released in November of the same year as “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)”. Various recordings of the song had been released over the years including performances from Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney and many, many others.
