Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
| PROFILE | |
| Composer | John Frederick Coots |
| Lyricist | Haven Gillespie |
| Year Written | 1934 |
| About Santa Claus is Coming to Town | |
| Written by the songwriting team of J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” had a spectacular debut. The song was first sung on Eddie Cantor’s radio show in November, 1934. On the day after the broadcast, there were 100,000 orders for the sheet music; by Christmas, over 400,000 copies of the sheet music had been sold. | |
Lyrics
You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list and checkin’ it twice
He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Little tin horns, little toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Curly head dolls that cuddle and coo
Elephants, boats and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
The kids in girl and boyland
Will have a jubilee
They’re gonna build a toyland
All around the Christmas tree
So you better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Session / Album Information
1967
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” was recorded in June 1967 and released the next year on the album Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album. It was arranged by Robert Farnon.
This recording released on:
- 1967: Columbia Special Products LP 12″: CSS 547 — The Great Songs Of Christmas (Album Seven)
- 1968: Columbia LP 12″: CS 9739 — Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
- 1969: CBS LP 12″: 63782 — Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album (UK)
- 1972: Columbia Special Products LP 12″: P-11417 — Christmas Is…
- 1972: Columbia Special Products LP 12″: P 11406 — Tony Bennett and His Friends “Over The Holidays”
- 1994: Columbia CD: CK 66459 — Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
- 2011: Disc #37 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK36) Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
2004
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” was recorded in 2004 and released in 2008 for A Swingin’ Christmas. It was arranged by Bill Holman and features Andy Snitzer on alto sax.
This recording released on:
- 2008: RPM Records/Columbia CD: 732250 — A Swingin’ Christmas
- 2011: Disc #73 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK71) A Swingin’ Christmas