# Christmas Songs with no cover versions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2018, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292 "2018-11-29T19:36:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/1 "2018-11-29T19:36:55Z")
I created a thread a few years back about the definitive versions of famous Christmas songs, and this takes that to the extreme. Are there any songs with only one \*significant \*version? If someone obscure make a recording in their basement and put it Youtube it wouldn’t count, but anything released by a recognized label would. To start - [Dominick the Donkey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYlvfX3nwlc) by Lou Monte ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/2 "2018-11-29T20:15:35Z")
I was going to vote ¿Dónde Está Santa Claus? by Augie Rios. But ¡no! It has several. Go figure. I wonder if there will be many. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/3 "2018-11-29T20:38:08Z")
I thought Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses might make it, but there are lots of cover versions there too. How about “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” Bob and Doug MacKenzie lyrics? It may end up being parodies of more famous songs that haven’t been covered. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/4 "2018-11-29T21:01:40Z")
I was going to suggest the Chipmunk song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) but nope; a Google search turns up other versions. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/5 "2018-11-29T21:07:05Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I thought Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses might make it, but there are lots of cover versions there too. > > How about “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” Bob and Doug MacKenzie lyrics? It may end up being parodies of more famous songs that haven’t been covered. True – what about the several Bob Rivers “Twisted Christmas” albums? I’ve never heard anyone cover the Black Sabbath-inspired “I Am Santa Claus!” for instance > **[Twisted Christmas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted_Christmas)** > > Twisted Christmas is a humorous Christmas album recorded by Bob Rivers and his Comedy Corp. It is the first in a line of Christmas-themed parody albums from Rivers, with later entries including I Am Santa Claus, More Twisted Christmas, Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire, and White Trash Christmas. > **[I Am Santa Claus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Santa_Claus)** > > I Am Santa Claus is the second Christmas album by Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio. It was released in November 1993 by Atlantic Records (WEA 82548), five years after Twisted Christmas, and four years before More Twisted Christmas. > J. D. Considine wrote in the Baltimore Sun that "Rivers' idea of 'funny' generally seems the work of a guy who's read too many issues of Mad magazine, but there are some good bits here." Helen Bryant of The Dallas Morning News wrote "Irving Berlin, it's not" while the Pitt... > **[More Twisted Christmas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_Twisted_Christmas)** > > More Twisted Christmas (alternately titled "Bob Rivers Presents More Twisted Christmas") is the third Christmas album by Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio, released in 1997. Whereas the first two albums in the Twisted Christmas series featured some original songs, spoken word comedy and instrumentals, all of the songs on this album are direct parodies, either Christmas-themed parodies of popular songs or parodies of Christmas songs. > The album was in the top 20 of Billboard's Top Heatseekers album chart... (Although the folks at WROR here in Boston did a cover of “Walkin’ Round in Women’s Underwear”) ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/6 "2018-11-29T21:22:51Z")
Google doesn’t turn up any covers of Spinal Tap’s “Christmas With The Devil” or Pansy Division’s “Homo Christmas”. Appallingly, there are many, many covers of “Wonderful Christmastime”. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/7 "2018-11-29T21:56:02Z")
[Christmas At Ground Zero](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU) by Weird Al is a one-of-a-kind. I wonder if our list will be mainly novelty Christmas songs? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/8 "2018-11-29T22:20:44Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > [Christmas At Ground Zero](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU) by Weird Al is a one-of-a-kind. Amazon lists at least a dozen covers but nothing on a major label. Most of them seem to be from an outfit called Blue Paradise Records. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/9 "2018-11-29T22:21:42Z")
It apparently took 50 years before someone started making covers of _Santa Claus got stuck in my chimney_, but now there are at least four … ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/10 "2018-11-29T22:24:15Z")
We Wish You The Merriest, by Frank & Bing seems to fit the bill. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/11 "2018-11-29T22:30:47Z")
It’s bewildering how many otherwise legitimate musicians make Christmas albums every year. Because of this, I’d say the vast majority of Christmas songs have no covers. Ryan Adams has a Christmas song, did anybody know that? I doubt anyone has covered it. Nick Lowe, NRBQ, Bob Dylan, Old 97s, and thousands more musicians I could name off the top of my head but won’t, have released Christmas albums. If any of their Christmas songs aren’t covers already, they’re probably one-offs nobody else has covered. There are only a few rare “Little Saint Nicks” and “Grandma got run over by a reindeers” that have been added to the canon since the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/12 "2018-11-29T22:36:12Z")
Even Bowie and Bing’s Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy has a cover that charted. I’m amazed. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/13 "2018-11-29T22:54:20Z")
Pretty sure nobody’s bothered to cover any of Meco’s _Star Wars Christmas Album_. The originals are bad enough! All tracks should be on YouTube, if anyone’s interested. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/14 "2018-11-29T23:09:37Z")
[“Christmas at Kmart”](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DX96Un6POoo8&ved=2ahUKEwiwgf-i2vreAhXiwVkKHZrkBlQQwqsBMAB6BAgMEAU&usg=AOvVaw1JXwLwhTN-K4M67dErnzZD) by Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band doesn’t seem to have a cover. I discovered Martin Mull’s “Santa Doesn’t Cop Out on Dope” has been covered, but his ["Santafly](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dle0QxG98dBU&ved=2ahUKEwj589iu2_reAhXtzVkKHa5kA90QwqsBMAh6BAgJEAU&usg=AOvVaw1709N3GlZECH2nHmaCF1WS)" seems to just have his version. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/15 "2018-11-29T23:09:42Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > It’s bewildering how many otherwise legitimate musicians make Christmas albums every year. Because of this, I’d say the vast majority of Christmas songs have no covers. I suspect you’re right. Such songs wouldn’t be what everyone would consider “famous Christmas songs,” but they would certainly meet the OP’s criterion of “anything released by a recognized label.” ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/16 "2018-11-29T23:10:55Z")
I’d seriously disappointed there are covers of _Merry Christmas Darling_ by The Carpenters. You don’t mess with perfection people! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/17 "2018-11-29T23:12:11Z")
I was facetiously going to suggest Tom Waits’ [_Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Card_from_a_Hooker_in_Minneapolis), but to my surprise it turns out to have been covered a number of times by notable performers. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/18 "2018-11-29T23:28:49Z")
Mac Davis claims to have written something called “Drinking Christmas Dinner Alone” but I can’t find ANY version of it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/19 "2018-11-30T00:29:59Z")
I haven’t found any covers of “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292/20 "2018-11-30T01:26:23Z")
I don’t think Dan Fogelberg’s “[Same Old Lang Syne](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar9Ip7pSqEg)” has been covered. It’s set at Christmas, though the title sometimes leads it to be a New Year’s song. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-songs-with-no-cover-versions/825292.md?page=2)