Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Christmas Carol Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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?
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 how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
You'll go down in history"
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 how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
You'll go down in history"

Overall Meaning

The song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a classic Christmas carol that tells the story of a reindeer who was initially an outcast among the rest of the reindeer herd because of his unique appearance. Rudolph's nose had a bright red glow that made him stand out from the rest of the reindeer. The other reindeer used to laugh and call him names, and they didn't allow him to join in any games. However, on one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa appeared to Rudolph and asked him to guide his sleigh through the thick fog, which was impossible for any other reindeer to do.

Rudolph's uniqueness became a blessing for him, and he ended up being the one who saved Christmas by guiding Santa's sleigh. The other reindeer who once laughed at and rejected him, now accepted and loved him dearly. The song has an uplifting message that encourages all individuals who feel different from the rest of the crowd to embrace their uniqueness and find a way to use it as an advantage.

Line by Line Meaning

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
You are familiar with the group of reindeer consisting of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen.

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen
Additionally, you also recognize the reindeer named Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.

But do you recall
However, have you ever thought about or remembered

The most famous reindeer of all?
the most popular and well-known of the bunch?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
His name is Rudolph, and he's known for his bright red nose.

Had a very shiny nose
In fact, his nose is incredibly bright and radiant.

And if you ever saw it
If you had the privilege of seeing it for yourself

You would even say it glows
you would likely describe it as shining and glowing.

All of the other reindeer
All the remaining reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names
previously mocked and insulted Rudolph with various names.

They never let poor Rudolph
They refused to allow Rudolph, who was perceived as inferior,

Join in any reindeer games
participate in any of their activities or games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
However, on a particular Christmas Eve, when it was foggy and difficult to see,

Santa came to say
Santa Claus himself appeared and spoke to Rudolph.

"Rudolph, with your nose so bright
"Rudolph, your nose is so radiant

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Would you be kind enough to lead my sleigh this evening?"

Then how the reindeer loved him
After Rudolph accepted the proposal and led the sleigh,

As they shouted out with glee
The rest of the reindeer cheered joyfully

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
"Rudolph, the reindeer with the bright red nose,

You'll go down in history"
will forever be remembered and celebrated."

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Again, his name is Rudolph, and he's still known for his bright red nose.

Had a very shiny nose
Once more, his nose is incredibly bright and radiant.