With all due respect to Gene Autry, my favorite version of this song is the one sung by Elvis. He just gives it that extra bluesy and rock n’ roll feel that the original lacks. I do like the rendition with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra but nothing beats the Elvis 1957 version. Not that the original Autry version isn’t great in its own right. It is.

The song was written by Autry, Oakley Haldeman and Harriet Melka and when Autry originally sang it, he pronounced Santa Claus as “Santy Claus”.

The song idea came about when Autry, one of those original cowboys, was riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade (now the Hollywood Christmas Parade) in Los Angeles. Spectators chanted, “Here comes Santa Claus” and a light bulb went on.

“Here Comes Santa Claus” (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)”, which is what the song is originally known as, has been covered by many since Autry, most recently in 2023 by Seth MacFarlane and Elizabeth Gillies and was even played in National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” near the end of the movie when all hell breaks loose. Yeah, Griswolds!