這是一首非常有趣的聖誕歌謠，聖誕節的傳統故事中，有一則這樣說：聖誕老人有八隻馴鹿，牠們與聖誕老人住在北極，每當聖誕夜，就會拉著雪橇和聖誕老人一起到各處，將聖誕禮物發送給所有相信他的乖男孩和女孩，小朋友都非常期待他們的禮物。1939年，美國一家百貨公司Montgomery Ward要求行銷公司老闆Robert May編一首有關聖誕老人的童詩，送給小朋友。於是Robert創造了一個新角色編成一首詩。這個新角色是一隻鼻子又紅又亮的馴鹿。牠被命名為「魯道夫」。Robert的妻弟電台製作人Johnny Mark再將這首詩編成歌曲。
在故事裡，魯道夫發現其他的馴鹿因為牠的大紅鼻子而瞧不起牠，牠們會拿牠的奇怪長相開玩笑，而且也不讓牠加入牠們的遊戲。 某次聖誕夜晚，狂風暴雨天色一片漆黑，聖誕老人沒有星星引導他的雪橇到世界各地。突然間，聖誕老人想到了魯道夫和牠那閃閃發亮的鼻子，他請魯道夫領路。結果，魯道夫做得很好，聖誕老人因此得以準時將禮物發送出去。孩子們在聖誕節早晨醒來，發現他們的長襪裡裝滿了糖果跟玩具。如今，魯道夫已是家喻戶曉，這首歌到處傳唱，並傳遞著愛與寬容的訊息。對許多人而言，那是聖誕節真正的意義。
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a famous Christmas song written by Johnny Marks. The song started life as a poem created by an American advertising executive called Robert May. Robert was requested to produce a poem that could be given away to children by the Santa Claus employed by Department Stores at Christmas!
In 1939 Marks’ brother-in-law, Robert L. May, created Rudolph as an assignment for Montgomery Ward and Marks decided to adapt the story of Rudolph into a song. Marks (1909–1985), was a radio producer who also wrote several other popular Christmas songs.
The song had an added introduction, stating the names of the eight reindeer which went:
“You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, But do you recall The most famous reindeer of all?”
The song was sung commercially by crooner Harry Brannon on New York City radio in early November 1949, before Gene Autry’s recording hit No. 1 in the U.S. charts the week of Christmas 1949. Autry’s version of the song also holds the distinction of being the only chart-topping hit to fall completely off the chart after reaching No. 1. The official date of its No. 1 status was for the week ending January 7, 1950, making it the first No. 1 song of the 1950s. Autry’s recording sold 2.5 million copies the first year, eventually selling a total of 25 million, and it remained the second best-selling record of all time until the 1980s.
By Gene Autry
By Dean Martin
Lyrics