# Is the "Peanuts" theme (Linus and Lucy) Christmas Music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305 "2013-12-14T15:02:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/101 "2014-12-03T17:09:10Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I don’t really associate the Peanuts theme with Christmas, but I am probably in the minority. I don’t either - I’m surprised to discover that so many people do. To me it’s just the season-agnostic “Peanuts Theme.” Current poll results are very close to 50/50… ---
**Author:** ![NVME702-redux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a183cd/32.png) [@NVME702-redux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NVME702-redux)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/102 "2014-12-04T14:31:43Z")
I voted NO. I associate Lucy and Linus with the start of the new school year. My two pence on the other questions raised here… Favorite Christmas Action Movie: The Long Kiss Good Night A Few of my Favorite Things? Resides on the cusp of secular holiday music/seminal musical number The Christmas Shoes song is the WORST, most treacle infused pile of sentimental holiday crap filled tripe to permeate the airwaves during the holiday season. I would punch a caroler at the mall If I heard it playing in a store, which is why I don’t do holiday shopping at the mall. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/103 "2014-12-04T18:08:52Z")
I stand by my assertion that both answers are correct. It depends on what you mean by “Christmas music.” Is Jingle Bells considered a Christmas song? It’s about winter, not Christmas. I bet they don’t sing it at Christmas time in Australia! (Ditto for “Winter Wonderland,” “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” and a bunch of others.) ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/104 "2014-12-04T19:07:20Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I don’t really associate the Peanuts theme with Christmas, but I am probably in the minority. > > Now, the Peanuts classic [Christmas Time is Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-8giz65hkE) is just full of Christmas feels. 🙂 Agreed. The main Peanuts theme is just that - the Peanuts theme (and they have a lot of non-Christmas related stuff). But the latter song immediately makes me think of A Charlie Brown Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/105 "2014-12-04T21:40:14Z")
I’m glad this thread has popped up again. Just a few days ago, I head Linus and Lucy form the first time in ages. Not as a Christmas tune - the date was not significant. It was a reminder of another context it comes up in constantly…or at least used to when I was a kid. Commercials for Met Life. It might still be constant for all I know…I don’t get GSN, where I saw the commercial, at home. But, yeah…Linus and Lucy says life insurance before it says Christmas, to me. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/106 "2014-12-06T07:46:05Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/107 "2015-11-28T12:07:00Z")
It’s that time of year. I thought I would revive this one more time for further discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/108 "2015-12-02T03:37:07Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > (Although it’s _really_ just an action movie set that week.) Not just set that week…set on _Christmas Eve_. As for _Linus and Lucy_, I voted not Christmas music, but I do understand how it could be considered such. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/109 "2015-12-03T02:21:15Z")
If you only hear something at Christmas time, played with other Christmas music (yes, there can be random exceptions) then it’s Christmas music. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/110 "2016-11-26T03:58:50Z")
Unlike my Die thread, this one didn’t generate much new discussion but the vote is so close I wanted to give it a go as well. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/111 "2016-11-26T05:19:06Z")
The other Peanuts specials only used it because it was so great in the Christmas show. None of the other peanuts specials had the impact of that one, musically or dramatically. And I don’t even remember L & L being in the other ones. Then again I saw it first run. I was the target audience. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/112 "2016-11-26T05:28:07Z")
Also if it matters by now: The theme was composed by Guaraldi for the Christmas special. He demoed it for the producer a couple of weeks after being hired for that job. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/113 "2016-11-26T22:05:34Z")
“Let it Snow” and “Winter Wonderland” and “Jimgle Bells” are not Christmas songs either. Just northern winter songs, with no mention of anything associated with Christmas. Once there is snow on the ground, you never hear them anymore, either. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/114 "2016-11-27T12:21:35Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Also if it matters by now: The theme was composed by Guaraldi for the Christmas special. He demoed it for the producer a couple of weeks after being hired for that job. Yes, it was composed for the Christmas special, but as dance music, for a scene where the gang refuses to concentrate on rehearsing the for the Christmas play. If Vince Guaraldi had considered it Christmas music, why would he have used it in the Halloween special? He wouldn’t. To use Christmas music in a Halloween pumpkin hunting scene would make no sense. Therefore Guaraldi didn’t consider it Christmas music. Therefore, it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/115 "2016-11-27T15:45:12Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Also if it matters by now: The theme was composed by Guaraldi for the Christmas special. He demoed it for the producer a couple of weeks after being hired for that job. Except as pointed out three years ago it was composed for an album called _Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown_ released a good year previously. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/116 "2016-11-27T16:31:21Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Except as pointed out three years ago it was composed for an album called _Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown_ released a good year previously. Oops, you’re right. Why is this poll even close? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/117 "2016-11-27T20:28:52Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Except as pointed out three years ago it was composed for an album called _Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown_ released a good year previously. From Wiki : “Mendelson contacted Ralph J. Gleason, jazz columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and was put in touch with Guaraldi. He proposed that Guaraldi score the upcoming Peanuts Christmas special and Guaraldi enthusiastically took the job, performing a version of what became “Linus and Lucy” over the phone two weeks later.” So we have to conclude that he put out the album in the interim when they were producing the show. In my post I said that the music was so popular when broadcast in the Christmas show that they were happy to use it again. But it was composed for that show. Being a monster theme was not predictable. It was a monster theme because it was part of that Christmas show. I can’t see how it wasn’t christmassy because it was what the gang danced to when they were goofing off from their rehearsals. It’s **more** christmassy for that if anything. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/118 "2016-11-27T20:44:40Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > From Wiki : “Mendelson contacted Ralph J. Gleason, jazz columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and was put in touch with Guaraldi. He proposed that Guaraldi score the upcoming Peanuts Christmas special and Guaraldi enthusiastically took the job, performing a version of what became “Linus and Lucy” over the phone two weeks later.” So we have to conclude that he put out the album in the interim when they were producing the show. [This claims that it was written originally for the documentary “A Boy Named Charlie Brown” (that never aired but predated the Christmas special)](http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=21828). Given that the name of the album was “Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown,” I’m inclined to believe that it was originally written for that. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/119 "2016-11-27T20:52:14Z")
And, it’s a little unclear from the [Wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas#CITEREFMendelson2013), but it says: > [@](#): > > The soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas is an unorthodox mix of traditional Christmas music and jazz. The jazz portions were created by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Producer Lee Mendelson, a fan of jazz, heard Guaraldi’s crossover hit “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” on the radio not long after completion of his documentary Charlie Brown & Charles Schulz, and contacted the musician to produce music for the special.[5] Guaraldi composed the music for the project, creating an entire piece, “Linus and Lucy,” to serve as the theme.[6] When Coca-Cola commissioned A Charlie Brown Christmas in spring 1965, Guaraldi returned to write the music. It’s unclear, but to me “the special” refers to the documentary, so Mendelson contacted Guaraldi to score his documentary, “A Boy Named Charlie Brown.” When Coca-Cola commissioned the Christmas episode in spring 1965, Guaraldi came back to write some more music for it. At least that’s how it reads to me, and that’s how it makes sense to me, since the Christmas project wasn’t even commissioned until after “Linus and Lucy” already had been released. At any rate, I did vote for it as being Christmas music when this thread first came around, but it does look like it predates the Christmas special and was not written for it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305/120 "2016-11-27T21:00:58Z")
Hopefully, [this link to Google Books works for you](https://books.google.com/books?id=qstIu-I9N-sC&pg=PA161&dq=mendelson+%22linus+and+lucy%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQv6vs6MnQAhVoyVQKHRz2C1kQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=mendelson%20%22linus%20and%20lucy%22&f=false), as there is a relevant passage from that book that details how Mendelson called up Guaraldi (with quotes from Mendelson) seeking a score for his Charles Shultz/Peanuts documentary, _A Boy Named Charlie Brown_. It relays the same anecdote posted above about hearing the tune over the phone two weeks later, but it’s in reference to the documentary, _not_ the Christmas special. (For some reason, when I initially link to it, it doesn’t show the page previous, but when I scroll up and down, it shows the text on the previous page. In case you can’t read page 160, it talks about Mendelson designing his documentary on Charles Schultz and figuring out who he wants to score it.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-peanuts-theme-linus-and-lucy-christmas-music/676305.md?page=7)