A Holly Jolly Christmas Burl Ives Have a holly jolly Christmas It’s the best time of the year Well, I don’t know if there’ll be snow But have a cup of cheer Have a holly jolly Christmas And when you walk down the street Say hello to friends you know And everyone you meet Ho ho, the mistletoe Hung where you can see Somebody waits for you Kiss her once for me Have a holly jolly Christmas And in case you didn’t hear Oh, by golly have a holly jolly Christmas This year Have a holly jolly Christmas And when you walk down the street Say hello to friends you know And everyone you meet Have a holly jolly Christmas And in case you didn’t hear Oh, by golly have a holly jolly Christmas This year Background “A Holly Jolly Christmas” was written by Johnny Marks in 1962. It was the title song of the Quinto Sisters’ first album “Holly Jolly Christmas,” recorded in June 1964 by Columbia Records. The song was featured in the 1964 Rankin-Bass Christmas special, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” in which Burl Ives voiced the narrator, Sam the Snowman. Originally to be sung by Larry D. Mann as Yukon Cornelius, the song, as well as “Silver and Gold,” was given to Burl Ives due to his singing fame. This version was also included on the soundtrack album for the special and later released as a single. The song was re-recorded by Ives for his 1965 holiday album, “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.” This version of the song has a somewhat slower arrangement than the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” version and features an acoustic guitar solo introduction. This version has since become the more commonly heard rendition on radio. |