Free Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer MP3 Download

Rudolph's origins

Rudolph's story was originally written in verse by Robert L. May for the Montgomery Ward chain of department stores in 1939 and published as a book to be given to children in the store at Christmas time. May was an Orthodox Jew hired as a freelance writer by the clothing store chain.

According to the story, Rudolph is the son of Donner, one of Santa's eight original reindeer (who were first mentioned in the famous poem A Visit from St. Nicholas). Rudolph was born with a glowing red nose, which made him a social outcast among the other reindeer. However, one Christmas eve it was too foggy for Santa Claus to make his flight around the world. About to cancel, Santa suddenly noticed Rudolph's nose, and decided it could be a makeshift lamp to guide his sleigh. Since then Rudolph has been a permanent member of Santa's team, and is welcomed by the other reindeer, making Santa's reindeer team a total of nine.

The song

Johnny Marks, May's brother-in-law, decided to adapt May's story into a song, which through the years has been recorded by many artists (most notably by Gene Autry in 1949), and has since filtered into the popular consciousness.

The song contains these lyrics:

You know Dasher and Dancer

And Prancer and Vixen,

Comet and Cupid

And Donder and Blitzen,

But do you recall

The most famous reindeer of all?

 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it

You would even say it glows

 

All of the other reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games

 

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say

"Rudolph, with your nose so bright,

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

 

Then all the reindeer loved him

As they shouted out with glee:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,

You'll go down in history!

In the U.S. and Canada, the song is sometimes performed (usually by children) in a humorous manner with additional lyrics. These lyrics are to be recited as a sort of response at the end of most of the lines in the song. Sample lyrics follow (responses in bold):

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (reindeer)

Had a very shiny nose (like a lightbulb)

And if you ever saw him (saw him)

You would even say it glows (like a lightbulb/flashlight)

 

All of the other reindeer (reindeer)

Used to laugh and call him names (like Pinocchio/fudgeface)

They never let poor Rudolph (Rudolph)

Join in any reindeer games (like Monopoly) or (like football)

 

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say (Happy Birthday!), or (Ho-ho-ho!), or (in his underwear!), or (G'day!) - Australian version

"Rudolph, with your nose so bright,

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" (all right!)

 

Then all the reindeer loved him (loved him)

As they shouted out with glee: (Yippee!) or (Hooray!)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, (reindeer)

You'll go down in history! (like Columbus / Mickey Mouse / George Washington / The Yellow Pages)

Or, as it was sung on The Simpsons:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it

You would even say it glows (like a lightbulb)

 

All of the other reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names (like shnozzola!)

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games (like Strip Poker)

 

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say:

"Rudolph, get your nose over here,

Won't you guide my sleigh... today." - Homer couldn't remember the lyrics correctly and made up the rest.

 

Then all the reindeer loved him

As they shouted out with glee:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

You'll go down in history! - Bart then ends the song with: like Attila the Hun before Homer cuts off Bart's singing by choking him.

The 1960 version produced by Alvin and the Chipmunks is done in a straightforward way, except that Rudolph joins the boys, and it is clear from his voice that he is "stuffed up" with a head cold, as he is unable to say certain words correctly, and this is presumed to be the explanation for his nose being red:

Rudolph with your dose so bright

Won't you guide my sleigh todight?