In 1978, five of his albums were on the best-selling charts simultaneously, a feat equaled only by Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Mathis. He has recorded a string of Billboard hit singles and multi-platinum albums that have resulted in his being named Radio & Records number one Adult Contemporary artist and winning three straight American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist. Several well-known entertainers have given Manilow their "stamp of approval," including Sinatra, who was quoted in the 1970s regarding Manilow, "He's next." In 1988, Bob Dylan stopped Manilow at a party, hugged him and said, "Don't stop what you're doing, man. We're all inspired by you."
As well as producing and arranging albums for other artists, such as Bette Midler and Dionne Warwick, Manilow has written songs for musicals, films, and commercials. From February 2005 to December 30, 2009, he was the headliner at the Las Vegas Hilton, performing hundreds of shows before ending relationship with the hotel. From March 2010, he has headlined at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. He has sold more than 80 million records worldwide
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Barry Manilow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?
Is it Herman? (no)
Is it Eddie, is it Freddy (no, no, no)
Is it Elton? (no)
Is it Billy? (no)
Is it Sting perhaps?
(Oh you'll never ever get it)
(Don't snap your caps)
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
Play 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
And they shouted out with glee
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
You'll go down in history!"
You better keep your nose
A red red rose
(You better keep your beak
All pink and sweet)
You better keep your shnaz
Maroon because
You will go down in history
The opening verse of Barry Manilow's Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer introduces us to the eight reindeer that are well known for pulling Santa's sleigh. However, the main focus of the song is on Rudolph who is the ninth and most famous reindeer of all. The lyrics then shift to a guessing game where Manilow suggests various names that people might mistake for Rudolph's. The reference to Elton, Billy and Sting suggests that Rudolph is a superstar in his own right and on par with these famous singers.
The chorus goes on to describe Rudolph's unique feature, a very shiny and glowy nose, which sets him apart from the other reindeer who used to ridicule him. The lyrics highlight a common theme of bullying and being ostracized for being different. However, the turning point in Rudolph's life comes on one foggy Christmas Eve when Santa himself seeks Rudolph's help to guide his sleigh. The other reindeer's attitudes towards Rudolph change overnight when they see that Rudolph's red nose has a useful purpose and he is no longer an outcast. The final lines of the song serve as a reminder for Rudolph to keep his distinguishing feature intact, for it has secured his legacy as the most famous reindeer of all time.
Line by Line Meaning
You know Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen.
You're familiar with all the standard reindeer names used in the legend, aren't you? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, are all famous in their own right.
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?
But you may have forgotten the most famous one of them all, can you recall its name?
Is it Herman? (no)
Is it Sherman? (no)
Is it Eddie, is it Freddy (no, no, no)
Is it Elton? (no)
Is it Billy? (no)
Is it Sting perhaps?
(Oh you'll never ever get it)
(Don't snap your caps)
It's not Herman, Sherman, Eddie, Freddy, Elton, nor Billy; there's no need to guess. The only thing you'll never do is to uncover his identity by getting all wound up about it.
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows
Rudolph, the reindeer whose nose looks like a shiny red light, really stands out. Anyone who sees his nose would probably say that it looks like it's glowing in the dark.
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Play in any reindeer games
Unfortunately, all the other reindeer used to taunt and tease poor Rudolph by calling him silly names. They'd never invite him to join in their reindeer games, either.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?
Then on one particularly foggy Christmas Eve, Santa appeared and asked Rudolph for his help: 'Rudolph, you know your nose is bright enough to see in the fog. Will you guide my sleigh tonight?'
Then all the reindeer loved him
And they shouted out with glee
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
You'll go down in history!"
After seeing Rudolph's star performance flying at the front of the sleigh and lighting the way, all the other reindeer realized what they'd missed out on. They were filled with joy, and they cheered, 'Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history!'
You better keep your nose
A red red rose
(You better keep your beak
All pink and sweet)
You better keep your shnaz
Maroon because
You will go down in history
If you want to make your mark on history like Rudolph, you need to keep your nose or beak a vibrant color that makes you unique.
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, ST. NICHOLAS MUSIC INC., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Marks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind