Discription of the Christmas Carols

CHRISTMAS CAROLS "O" to "Z"

Here is a collection of Christmas carols and season songs in basic text format for easy downloading. Click on a title to open the lyrics in a new window. From there you can print or save the file as you wish.

1. O Christmas Tree
   Traditional music, lyrics by Ernst Anschütz. The contemporary version was composed in 1824 from a German folk tune as O Tannenbaum . There are numerous English translations which use poetic license to match the meter and rhyme.

2. O Come All Ye Faithful
   Music and lyrics by John Francis Wade. A Latin hymn probably composed by Wade around 1750 as Adeste Fideles . The music is sometimes attributed to an order of monks, but there is no good evidence to disprove that Wade composed the hymn himself when he wrote the first four stanzas. The hymn was subsequently translated by Frederick Oakeley and others into what we know as “O Come All Ye Faithful”.

3. O Come, O Come, Emanuel
   Traditional music and lyrics. A 12th century Latin carol translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1853. The song is notable because it draws upon a variety of scriptural references.

4. O Holy Night
   Music by Adolphe-Charles Adam, lyrics by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure. Composed in 1847 by Adam from Cappeau's poem, Cantique de Noël , and translated into English in 1855 by John Sullivan Dwight. The melody is considerably difficult to sing, so it is usually performed as a solo. For many years Mahalia Jackson's rendition from her 1968 Christmas with Mahalia album was a radio favorite. “O Holy Night” has the distinction of being the first music ever broadcast on a radio program, when Reginald Fessenden played it on the violin on Christmas Eve, 1906.

5. O Little Town of Bethlehem
   Music by Lewis H. Redner, lyrics by Phillips Brooks. Poem written by a Philadelphia minister in response to his trip to Bethlehem in 1857. His church organist set it to music the following year.

6. O Tannenbaum (Ge)
   See notes for “O Christmas Tree”.

7. Over the River and Through the Wood
   Traditional music, lyrics by Lydia Marie Child. Published as a poem in the 1844 book of poetry, Flowers for Children, Vol II . Child is notable as one of the first women in America to earn a living as a professional writer. The title of the original poem was “A Boy's Thanksgiving Day”. However, as with many songs that mention snow, it has become associated with Christmas, especially since “Thanksgiving Day” in the lyric is easily transcribed to “Christmas Day”.

8. Patapan
   Music and lyrics by Bernard de la Monnoye. A 17th century French carol with various English translations. The nonsense words are intended to imitate the sounds of a pipe and drum. A dynamic instrumental rendition was released by Mannheim Steamroller on their 1995 Christmas in the Aire album.

9. Raindrops on Roses
   See notes for “My Favorite Things”.

10. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
    Music and lyrics by Johnny Marks. Composed by the same man who gave music to “Rudolph”, this Marks tune was recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958. Lee's popularity as a pop singer rose over the next few years, and this song's popularity rose with her.

11. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
    Music by Johnny Marks, lyrics by Robert L. May. Story written in 1939 for a Montgomery Ward department store promotion as a free coloring book. Marks and May later developed the Rudolph story into a song, which was recorded by Gene Autry in 1947, making it a timeless classic.

12. Santa Baby
    Music and lyrics by Joan Javits, Philip Springer, and Tony Springer. A novelty song composed in 1953 and first recorded by Eartha Kitt. The song is a woman's unabashed plea for Christmas treasure. It has been recorded by numerous female artists, but contrary to public perception, it was never recorded by Marilyn Monroe.

13. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
    Music by John Frederick Coots, lyrics by Haven Gillespie. Composed in 1934 and broadcast on the Eddie Cantor radio show in November of that year. It was recorded by the Tommy Dorsey orchestra for the following Christmas and has been recorded by numerous artists ever since. In 1970 it was turned into an animated television special with Fred Astaire as the narrator. A popular rendition played on radio today is Bruce Springsteen's 1985 live performance.

14. Silent Night
    Music by Franz Gruber, lyrics by Joseph Mohr. Composed on Christmas Eve, 1818, and performed that night as Stille Nacht with guitar accompaniment at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. From that modest beginning, the song underwent minor musical changes, so that by 1832, the song was known throughout Europe with the melody that we know today. “Silent Night” traverses all denominations of Christianity, Catholic and Protestant alike, and is considered to be the quintessential Christmas carol. It has been translated into virtually every known written language.

15. Silver Bells
    Music by Jay Livingston, lyrics by Ray Evans. Composed for the 1951 Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell movie, The Lemon Drop Kid , and recorded by Bing Crosby later that year. The song was probably inspired by the Salvation Army volunteers who rang bells for donations. It is one of the few songs in the Christmas genre to highlight urban imagery, but it remains one of the most frequently recorded modern Christmas songs.

16. Sleep, My Child
    See notes for “All Through the Night”.

17. Sleigh Ride!
    Music by Leroy Anderson, lyrics by Mitchell Parish. An orchestral composition from 1946, recorded by the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1949. The lyrics were written later and first recorded in 1958 by Johnny Mathis with the Percy Faith orchestra. The music has been recorded, with and without lyrics, by numerous artists. Notable recordings include diverse groups such as the Andre Kostelanetz orchestra, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Ronnettes. “Sleigh Ride” is another example of a snow song that makes no mention of Christmas — in fact, it's about a birthday party — but is indelibly linked to the holiday.

18. Snoopy's Christmas
    Music and lyrics by Hugo Luigi and George David Weiss. A novelty song composed and recorded in 1967 as a follow-up to the Royal Guardsmen's hit single of the previous year, “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron”. The song held the top spot on Billboard's 1967 Christmas chart for five weeks and has become a holiday staple on oldies radio stations.

19. Snow Lay on the Ground, The
    Music by Edvard Grieg, traditional lyrics. An Irish folk song set to music by Grieg, published in Carols Old and Carols New in Boston in 1916.

20. Stille Nacht (Ge)
    See notes for “Silent Night”.

21. There's No Place Like Home
    See notes for “Home for the Holidays”.

22. Twelve Days of Christmas, The
    Traditional music and lyrics. An English folk song of unknown origin, earliest known publication in Mirth without Mischief around 1780. The song was intended to be a parlor game, where players were challenged to remember the verses or be out . The song celebrates the twelve days of Christmas, which last from December 25 to January 6. However, the gifts have no real connection with the doctrine of Christianity, although some authors have tried to attribute each gift and its numeric designation with a corresponding article of Christian tradition. One of the earliest popular recordings in the US was by the Mitch Miller chorale in 1961.

23. Un Flambeau (Fr)
    See notes for “Bring a Torch”.

24. Up on the Housetop
    Music and lyrics by Benjamin Hanby. Composed by a minister in 1864, based on Clement Moore's poem, as a children's sing-along for his congregation. The song was published the following year by a Chicago music company who also hired Hanby. It has been recorded by numerous artists, including Gene Autry and the King Sisters.

25. Venite Adoramus (/La)
    See notes for “Snow Lay on the Ground, The”.

26. We Need a Little Christmas
    Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Composed for the 1966 stage musical, Mame , which was later produced as a movie musical in 1974. The song is led by the title character, who has lost her fortune in the 1929 Wall Street crash, as she encourages her household with Christmas approaching. The original cast recording features Angela Lansbury.

27. We Three Kings
    Music and lyrics by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. Composed in 1857 by a clergyman for his family Christmas celebration. Hopkins was well-connected to the ministries in New York, and his song quickly gained popularity. He published it in 1863 in his own Carols, Hymns, and Songs . The song has been faulted for the prevailing conception, contrary to any Biblical doctrine, that the wisemen were kings. The lyrics can also be sung to the tune of “Scarborough Fair”.

28. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
    Traditional 16th century English carol. This song is probably most responsible for the continued association of figgy pudding with Christmas. Figgy pudding, like other English puddings, is prepared by mixing the ingredients and then steaming or baking them into a spicy porridge, and sometimes served en flambé . The dish was featured in the 1938 MGM release of A Christmas Carol .

29. What Child is This
    Traditional music, lyrics by William Chatterton Dix. Composed in 1865 from a 16th century English folk song, “Greensleeves”. The song has the unique characteristic in that each chorus has different lyrics, although some performers merely repeat the first chorus after each verse.

30. When I was but a Youngster
    See notes for “C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S”.

31. Where is Santa Claus (Sp)
    See notes for “Donde Esta Santa Claus”.

32. While By My Sheep
    Traditional music, lyrics by Nach Friedrich von Spee. Composed from a German folk song in 1625. It was probably performed as an echo chorus from very early in its history.

33. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
    Various music, lyrics by Nahum Tate. Composed from a poem first published in 1700. The lyrics have been sung to a variety of tunes, sometimes repeating the last line of each verse.

34. White Christmas
    Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Composed for Bing Crosby in the 1942 movie musical, Holiday Inn . The song's popularity prompted Paramount Pictures to create a whole new film to showcase the song, White Christmas , released in 1954. Like Crosby's version, the introductory verse is often omitted by performers. Crosby's rendition is still recognized as the highest selling recording of all time.

35. Willie Take Your Little Drum
    See notes for “Patapan”.

36. Winter Wonderland
    Music by Felix Bernard, lyrics by Richard B. Smith. Composed in 1934 and recorded that year by the Richard Himber orchestra in New York. The song has been recorded by many artists with different styles. It is another example of a snow song that makes no mention of Christmas but is indelibly linked to the holiday.

37. You Better Watch Out
    See notes for “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”.