# Have you heard of the Christmas song "Up On the Housetop?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717 "2009-12-10T13:16:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/41 "2009-12-10T18:42:09Z")
Never heard of it. What? It’s only me? Damn! ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/42 "2009-12-10T19:59:35Z")
Wow, I can’t believe how much in the minority I am! Grew up in NJ, born in '73. I know all the Christmas songs, or so I thought… Little Nell? Columbia from Rocky Horror? Joe ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/43 "2009-12-10T23:13:26Z")
I learned this song as a kid some time in the early '70s, and it already had a reputation for being obscure, or at least old-fashioned. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/44 "2009-12-10T23:26:09Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > “Housetop”? N-n-no, it’s _roof_top. I had always heard it as rooftop too. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/45 "2009-12-10T23:42:47Z")
Next comes the stocking of Prunella Santa bring her a fella And make sure he’s more than a pal 'Cause the girl’s ugly and virgin-AL You ho ho The girl is a ho Yo ho ho The girl is a ho Up on the roof the pervert’s sick Getting it on with old St Nick ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/46 "2009-12-11T00:22:34Z")
I have it on two CDs: One sung by the Lettermen, and the other played by the River City Ragtime Band. And both have it as “housetop,” though I think I leaned it as “rooftop.” ---
**Author:** ![Sonnenstrahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Sonnenstrahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonnenstrahl)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/47 "2009-12-11T00:38:37Z")
I think Raffi sang it, right? So I and every other Canadian child born in the 80s must know it. (I’m pretty sure if you played that album for me now, I could sing along with every word despite not having listened to it in a decade.) ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/48 "2009-12-11T01:02:11Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > We used to sing this in gradeschool during Christmas season. Not only do I know the song, I know all the _verses_. “Next comes the stocking of little Bill; Oh just see what a glorious fill!” I used to know all the lyrics - I was in the school choir and we’d always have a performance near the holidays. I don’t think I can remember all the verses anymore though. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/49 "2009-12-11T01:31:20Z")
It was familiar when I was a kid, though I don’t hear it much anymore. Yes, as above poster says, I think of it as a school performance song. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/50 "2009-12-11T02:18:40Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > In fact, I remember that when I was a small child I wondered why they were singing about “reindeer paws”. Everybody knows reindeer have hooves !!😛 Me too! But “hooves” is harder to rhyme. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/51 "2009-12-11T04:51:37Z")
Not sure if it was actually written there, but I went to elementary school in Westerville, OH and I know the song quite well. We were taught in school that Hanby wrote the song in Westerville. [Hanby in Westerville.](http://activerain.com/blogsview/1306901/westerville-up-on-the-housetop-) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/52 "2009-12-11T05:09:45Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > But “hooves” is harder to rhyme. _Up on the housetop reindeer hooves Scratching hell out of people’s rooves!_ ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/53 "2009-12-11T17:13:44Z")
I just want to point out that I, personally, would under no circumstances go up on the housetop with good St. Nick. The suggestion that I might always bothered me. Good St. Nick comes to _me_! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/54 "2009-12-11T17:32:10Z")
For everyone snarking on “reindeer paws,” perhaps I’m getting whooshed, but the actual lyric is “Up on the housetop the reindeer PAUSE, out jumps good old Santa Claus.” The only reason I’m not sure it’s a whoosh is because, in my not-so-distant past, I did think it was “paws.” ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/55 "2009-12-11T17:34:54Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Not sure if it was actually written there, but I went to elementary school in Westerville, OH and I know the song quite well. We were taught in school that Hanby wrote the song in Westerville. > > [Hanby in Westerville.](http://activerain.com/blogsview/1306901/westerville-up-on-the-housetop-) According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_On_The_Housetop), Hanby wrote the song in New Paris, OH. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/56 "2009-12-11T17:52:47Z")
Well, it’s Wikipedia. It could say Westerville easily enough. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/57 "2009-12-11T22:26:13Z")
Is that the one that goes: Up on the housetop reindeer pause, Antennae’s caught poor Santa Claus. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/58 "2009-12-11T22:35:23Z")
I feel like I just starting hearing this with the Kimberly Locke version a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/59 "2009-12-11T22:50:46Z")
It’s rooftop, not housetop. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717/60 "2009-12-12T04:04:41Z")
We sang it at my kindergarten Christmas show. We had hand movements and everything. I have never heard the song since then though (unless I was singing it to my big sister - she likes the song). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-heard-of-the-christmas-song-up-on-the-housetop/520717.md?page=4)