Starting his career on the Television show Designing Women, Engvall hit his acclaimed first "big break" when he went on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and from there won the American Comedy Awards Comic of the Year, landing then on the television show Delta Burke, which lasted for one year, and from then on producing his albums. Before becoming a well-known comedian, Engvall joined the popular talent show Star Search.
Engvall's career toiled in relative obscurity for several years, hitting a low point while starring as CHUD #14 in the cult film C.H.U.D, until he turned his most famous routine, "Here's Your Sign," into a song by country music star Travis Tritt. The song was a hit, catapulting Engvall to comedic stardom. More recently, he recorded a Comedy Central special and starred with fellow comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Ron White in the hit redneck-themed stand-up movie Blue Collar Comedy Tour (as well as its sequels and spin-off TV show). The Blue Collar group has been called the redneck Rat Pack. Foxworthy is both the leader and most famous of the group, like the Rat Pack's Frank Sinatra. Engvall equates to Dean Martin, since he is the best friend of the leader, and is arguably the second-most famous member of the group.
He is married to his wife Gail since 1982 and has a daughter named Emily, a junior at the University of Puget Sound, as well as a son named Travis.
I'm Getting Sued by Santa Claus
Bill Engvall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Explaining to the children will be hard
Well it's Christmas Eve tonight
And our beagle picked a fight
With some reindeer that were grazing in our yard
I let the dog outside to do his business
I forgot to his leash up to the peg
Then he bit Rudolph on the nose
And when I got there he was eyeing Prancers leg
Now I'm getting sued by Santa Claus
He's claiming mental anguish in his case
Yeah, I'm getting sued by Santa Claus
And my kids won't even look me in the face
I tried to throw myself on Santa's mercy
I begged him but I wasn't gettin' thru
I said " it's all your fault you know "
He said " now how can that be so? "
I said " because we got the stupid dog from you!"
Now I'm getting sued by Santa Claus
He's claiming mental anguish in his case
Yeah, I'm getting sued by Santa Claus
And my kids won't even look me in the face
Oh I'm gettin' sued by Santa Claus
He's claiming mental anguish in his case
Yeah, I'm getting sued by Santa Claus
And my kids won't even look me in the face
Yeah, I'm getting sued by Santa Claus
Now I'm bunkin' with the beagle at his place
The lyrics to Bill Engvall's "I'm Getting Sued by Santa Claus" tell a humorous story about a man whose dog gets into a fight with Santa's reindeer. This event leads to a legal battle with Santa, who is seeking compensation for mental anguish. The man is devastated because his kids won't even look at him in the face, knowing that he has ruined Christmas Day.
The song is a humorous take on the sometimes-stressful holiday season, highlighting the absurdity of a legal battle against Santa Claus. The lyrics are meant to be tongue-in-cheek and not taken too seriously, showcasing Engvall's comedic talents. At the same time, the song touches on themes of responsibility, blame, and the ways in which we navigate conflicts with others.
One interesting aspect of the song is the use of anthropomorphic animals as key characters. Besides Santa Claus, the reindeer are the only other characters who talk in the song, and they have distinct personalities and motivations. The lyrics also use a mix of slang and colloquialisms, which adds to the humor of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Christmas Day will not be very merry
The events that have transpired will have repercussions on how Christmas will be celebrated.
Explaining to the children will be hard
It will be difficult to break the news to the children about the legal troubles their father is in.
Well it's Christmas Eve tonight
The day on which the incident took place.
And our beagle picked a fight
The family dog instigated a physical altercation.
With some reindeer that were grazing in our yard
The other party involved in the altercation was Santa's reindeer, who were in the family's yard.
I let the dog outside to do his business
The family dog needed to go outside to relieve itself.
I forgot to his leash up to the peg
The dog was not restrained and able to run freely.
First he and Cupid came to blows
The dog fought with Cupid, one of Santa's reindeer.
Then he bit Rudolph on the nose
The dog also attacked Rudolph, another one of Santa's reindeer.
And when I got there he was eyeing Prancers leg
The dog was showing interest in attacking Prancer, another one of Santa's reindeer, before the situation was diffused.
Now I'm getting sued by Santa Claus
Legal action is being taken against the family by Santa Claus.
He's claiming mental anguish in his case
The basis of Santa's claim is that he is experiencing emotional distress as a result of the incident.
And my kids won't even look me in the face
The children are ashamed of their father's actions and the family's current predicament.
I tried to throw myself on Santa's mercy
The family appealed to Santa to show compassion and leniency towards them.
I begged him but I wasn't gettin' thru
However, their attempts to plead their case were unsuccessful.
I said 'it's all your fault you know'
The family blames Santa for providing them with the troublesome dog that caused the incident.
He said 'now how can that be so?'
Santa questions the validity of the family's accusation.
I said 'because we got the stupid dog from you!'
The family reiterates their argument that the dog was originally provided by Santa.
Now I'm bunkin' with the beagle at his place
The father is now staying with the family dog, indicating that the family is experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the lawsuit.
Writer(s): Bill Engvall, William Engvall, Porter C. Howell, Craig Hawksley
Contributed by London P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.