He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s U.S. series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch. Hasselhoff also produced Baywatch for a number of seasons in the 1990s up until 2001, when the series ended with Baywatch Hawaii. Hasselhoff also crossed over to a music career during the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s. He was noted for his performance at the Berlin Wall in 1989; he enjoyed a short lived success as a singer primarily in German-speaking Europe. More recently, Hasselhoff has been involved with talent shows such as NBC's America's Got Talent from 2006-2009.
Twas The Night Before Christmas
David Hasselhoff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads
And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, here he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night"
(We wish you a merry Christmas…)
David Hasselhoff's song Twas the Night Before Christmas is a charming and lively rendition of the classic Christmas poem of the same name. The song describes the excitement and anticipation of Christmas Eve, when all is calm and the house is filled with the anticipation of Santa Claus's arrival. The atmosphere is set with the first line "Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." This line represents the calm and peacefulness of the night, where everyone is ready for the magic to happen.
The second verse describes the children, who are nestled in their beds, dreaming of the presents that they will receive from Santa Claus. The poem then continues with the arrival of St. Nicholas and his flying reindeer. The excitement of the night is captured in the third verse when the singer sees St Nicholas's sleigh, and the reindeer are named as they embark on their magical journey. In the final verse, St. Nicholas appears, and the singer is delighted by his appearance. The song ends with the message, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
Hasselhoff's version of the poem is a joyful and upbeat take on the classic tale. His voice adds to the festive mood of the song, and he punctuates the end of each verse with a hearty "ho ho ho." The song is a fun holiday addition that will bring cheer to any Christmas gathering.
Line by Line Meaning
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
It was the night before Christmas and there were no sounds of movement within the house.
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
Not a single living being was moving or active, not even a small rodent.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
The stockings were carefully and intentionally placed on the chimney, in anticipation of a specific occasion.
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
People anticipated and wished for St. Nicholas to arrive soon.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
The children were sleeping warmly and safely in their beds.
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads
The children were dreaming of delightful things and were experiencing a joyful state of mind.
And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
The singer and their mother were wearing suitable clothing for the cold weather outside.
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
The artist and their mother had just gone to sleep for a long rest during the winter season.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside on the lawn.
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
The artist quickly got up from the bed to see what was happening.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
The singer ran to the window super-fast, like a bolt of lightning.
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The artist opened the window quickly and forcefully.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
The moonlight shone on the surface of the recently fallen snow.
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
The moonlight was so bright that it illuminated the surroundings as if it was daytime.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
The singer couldn't believe what they saw with their eyes.
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
The amazing sight was a small sleigh, pulled by eight small reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
The person driving the sleigh was an elderly, but energetic and fast individual.
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
The singer instantly recognized that the driver of the sleigh was Saint Nicholas.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
The reindeer moved faster than eagles, with great speed and energy.
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
St. Nicholas called the reindeer by their respective names with a whistle and a shout.
"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
St. Nicholas specifically called each of the reindeer by name, saying them out loud.
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
St. Nicholas continued to call out each of the names of the eight reindeer with enthusiasm.
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
St. Nicholas commanded the reindeer to go to the top of the porch, then to the top of the wall.
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
St. Nicholas encouraged the speedy departure of the reindeer.
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
The movement of the reindeer was as swift and sudden as dry leaves being tossed around by a strong hurricane.
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
If the reindeer encountered any obstacles, they would move over them easily and gracefully.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
The reindeer quickly flew all the way up to the rooftop of the house.
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
The sleigh was carrying many toys and St. Nicholas himself.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
Suddenly, a sound was heard on the roof.
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
The sound was produced by the movement of each of the small hooves of the reindeer.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
The singer pulled in their hand and turned around to look behind them.
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
St. Nicholas arrived down the chimney with a sudden jump and landing.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
St. Nicholas was wearing fur clothing from head to toe.
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
His clothing was dirty and stained with ash and soot from the chimney.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
St. Nicholas carried a bundle of toys on his back, flinging it over his shoulder.
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
He looked like a salesperson just opening up their bag full of goods for customers.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
St. Nicholas had a cheerful and glowing appearance, with happy eyes and smiling dimples.
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His face was rosy and red with a cherry-like nose.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
St. Nicholas had a small, humorous mouth with an upturned smile.
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
St. Nicholas had a beard on his chin that was as white as snowfall.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
St. Nicholas held the stem of a smoking pipe tightly between his teeth.
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
Smoke from the pipe circled around his head, looking like a festive wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
St. Nicholas had a wide, plump face and a small, round belly.
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
When he laughed, his belly shook like a bowl full of jiggling jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
St. Nicholas was chubby, round and happy, and was like a friendly elf.
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
The artist laughed upon seeing him, despite trying not to.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
St. Nicholas signaled with a wink and head movement.
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
This signaled to the artist that there was nothing to be afraid of.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
St. Nicholas got straight to work without speaking any words.
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
St. Nicholas filled all the stockings with presents, then quickly turned around with a sudden movement.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
He put his finger near his nose, indicating and hinting at something.
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
St. Nicholas gave the artist a nod, and then he rose off the ground and up through the chimney.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
St. Nicholas quickly jumped back into his sleigh and blew a whistle to his team of reindeer.
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
The reindeer started moving quickly and soon they were flying away, gentle and light like a thistle seed being blown by the wind.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
Before St. Nicholas disappeared out of sight, the singer heard him exclaim something.
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night"
St. Nicholas wished everyone a joyous Christmas and a good night.
Contributed by Juliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.