Cover Me: Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town

It was already one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time before Bruce Springsteen immortalized it for annual radio play.

That’s probably because it’s also one of the most malleable holiday classics, taking twists and turns in both lyrics and arrangement since its first recording in 1934.

Haven Gillespie wrote the lyrics for “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” during the height of the Great Depression, and his words reflected the concerns of the day:

The season is near, the happiest time
Gotta  bring cheer with  every last dime
Santa Claus is coming to town! 

We’ve gotta dig deep and cover the list
Gotta see that nobody is missed
Santa Claus is coming to town! 

Let’s keep home fires burning
Let’s give with out a pause
Let’s prove to those less fortunate that there is a Santa Claus

Oh the joy will be yours , that wonderful day
Knocking on doors and shouting hurray
Santa Claus is coming to town!  

It was this version–set to music by J. Fred Coots–that radio star Eddie Cantor performed on his radio show that 1934 holiday season.

Cantor’s performance turned Gillespie and Coots’ song into an immediate smash, selling more than 30,000 copies within the first twenty-four hours of its radio debut.

It was a bittersweet moment for Gillespie, though, because he hadn’t wanted to write the song at all. When Cantor called him to commission an upbeat holiday song, Gillespie had just lost his brother–as in earlier that same day. He was in no mood to write a happy song.

But on the subway home, Gillespie found himself flooded with memories of his brother, their childhood, and holidays past. Their mother would often remind them that Santa was always watching and noting whether they’d been good boys or bad boys. That memory found its way into a lyric.

Within fifteen minutes (to his probable chagrin), Gillespie had a song, The rest is history: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” became a timeless classic, bringing joy to everyone who heard it. Everyone, that is, except Gillespie, who could never listen to the song without reliving the loss of his dear brother.

“Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” went on to be covered by over 200 artists across every decade since its original release, and in 1962 it crossed over into rock and roll when The Four Seasons put their own instantly recognizable stamp on it.

But while The Four Seasons might have gained the song a rock foothold, it was Phil Spector and The Crystals who hit upon the arrangement that would endure and influence artists from The Jackson Five to Mariah Carey… and of course Bruce Springsteen.

A famous devotee of the Spector sound and the girl groups of the 1960s, Bruce was heavily inspired by The Crystals 1963 version, right down to its spoken-world story introduction.

Although he’d been performing it since at least late 1973, it was his December 12, 1975 performance at C.W. Post College that Bruce decided to capture for posterity.

He wouldn’t release it officially until 1981, when he contributed it to a Sesame Street compilation album and promotional single, but the track escaped into the wild anyway, thanks to Bruce’s then-manager Mike Appel. Appel sent reel-to-reel tapes of the performance to select radio stations, and Bruce’s cover got immediate airplay. It became a  holiday staple ever after.

It became an immediate fan favorite in concert, too, reliably appearing any time a tour stretched into the holiday season.

…and sometimes even in the off-season.

These days, Santa is likely to turn up any time of year, if you ask nicely. (Creative signs and Santa hats help.) And as for that vintage 1975 recording, now 46 years old… you’ll find that on your FM dial each and every December.

So on this Christmas Eve, whether you celebrate the holiday or not: here’s a wish for the merriest of days, and many more E Street visits from Santa to come.

Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
Never recorded
Released (Live): In Harmony 2 (1981)
First performed: December 20, 1973 (Brsitol, RI)
Last performed: December 14, 2016 (New York City, NY)

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