Today’s classic Christmas song of the day is “Little Saint Nick” by the Beach Boys. Released as a single in early December 1963, it eventually hit #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a holiday classic.
“Little Saint Nick” was written by Brian Wilson, although Mike Love later horned in on the writing credit due to a lawsuit he filed in the early 1990s. (Rest assured, the vile Mr. Love contributed absolutely nothing to this one.) Brian was inspired by producer Phil Spector’s plans to release a Christmas album, the now-legendary A Christmas Gift for You. Brian admits is was somewhat of a rush job:
“I wrote the lyrics to it while I was out on a date and then I rushed home to finish the music.”
The result was a Christmas-themed song that sounded more than a little like “Little Deuce Coupe” and other Beach Boys songs of the time. It even has hot rod-inspired lyrics:
Just a little bobsled, we call it old Saint Nick
But she’ll walk a toboggan with a four speed stick
She’s candy-apple red with a ski for a wheel
And when Santa hits the gas, man, just watch her peel
That’s right, in this song Saint Nick isn’t Santa, it’s the souped-up sled he uses to deliver all those presents on Christmas Eve. I bet you didn’t know that!
And here’s today’s bonus video of the day, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys (with Mike Love on lead vocals) performing “Little Saint Nick” live on the December 23, 1963, episode of Shindig. Run run reindeer!
