20. Merry Christmas Baby (Lou Rawls)
Christmas is supposed to be a happy time. Really, really happy. That pressure for everyone to be happy may be what brings some of us to long to hear the blues.
"Merry Christmas Baby" was written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore, and popularized by blues singer Charles Brown and then Elvis Presley. If you Google for the lyrics you’ll get a mishmash of stuff that appears to be a transcription of a recording by Elvis. Here’s how the lyrics should read:
Merry Christmas, Baby
Merry Christmas, baby,
You sure did treat me nice.
Merry Christmas, baby,
You sure did treat me nice.
Gave me a diamond ring for Christmas,
Now I’m living in paradise.Well I’m feeling mighty fine,
Got good music on my radio.
I said I’m feeling mighty fine,
Got good music on my radio.
I want to kiss you, baby,
While you’re standing ‘neath the mistletoe.[Break]
Saint Nick came down the chimney
‘Bout a half past three,
Left all these pretty presents
That you see before me.Merry Christmas, baby,
You sure been good to me.
Merry Christmas, baby,
You sure been good to me.
I haven’t had a drink this morning
But I’m all lit up like a Christmas tree.
Some artists include a final verse, which is more bluesy in spirit than the earlier part of the song — discordantly so, as though Baby put that diamond ring and a whole big bunch of presents under the tree and then left the house, never to return.
Well Santa Claus, Santa Claus,
Won’t you hear my plea.
Well Santa Claus, Santa Claus,
Won’t you hear my plea.
All I want for Christmas
Is bring my baby back to me.
Of all the versions and variations of this song, I prefer Lou Rawls’s rendition, mostly because I love how he sings. So sexy. I have this on Ultra-Lounge
Christmas Cocktails, Pt. 2
Side note: In searching for a visual to accompany this post, I discovered an episode of The Muppet Show with Lou Rawls as the guest star. Here are part 1, part 2, and part 3 of that episode for your flashback entertainment.