Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Ella Fitzgerald Bing Crosby Lyrics


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You know dasher and dancer and prancer and vixen
Comet and cupid and donder 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





Hang your nose down rudy
Hang your nose and cry

Overall Meaning

The song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a classic Christmas carol that tells the story of a reindeer named Rudolph, who was mocked by his peers for having a shiny, red nose. Rudolph was not included in any of the reindeer games and was generally treated poorly by his peers. However, on a foggy Christmas eve, Santa Claus came to Rudolph and asked him to guide his sleigh, as the light from Rudolph's nose would help Santa see in the dark. Rudolph accepted, and he finally found acceptance and love from the other reindeer.


The lyrics of the song are simple yet powerful, representing the concept of acceptance and seeing value in those who are seen as different or ostracized by others. The song is a reminder that everyone has unique qualities that make them special, and that those qualities should be celebrated and appreciated. The powerful message behind the song continues to resonate with people of all ages, making it a timeless classic.


Line by Line Meaning

You know dasher and dancer and prancer and vixen
You're familiar with the reindeers Dash, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen


Comet and cupid and donder and blitzen
You also know of the reindeers named Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen


But do you recall
But have you ever heard of


The most famous reindeer of all
The most widely-known reindeer of all time


Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Here comes Rudolph, the reindeer with the bright red nose


Had a very shiny nose
His nose shone brightly


And if you ever saw it
And in case you ever saw it


You would even say it glows
You would even say it emits an intense light


All of the other reindeer
Every other reindeer


Used to laugh and call him names
Used to deride and mock Rudolph with insults


They never let poor rudolph
They never allowed Rudolph, who was already in a difficult situation, to


Join in any reindeer games
Play any of the games the other reindeer played


Then one foggy christmas eve
On a Christmas Eve when fog had descended


Santa came to say
Santa Claus came forward to Rudolph and said


Rudolph with your nose so bright
Rudolph, with your brilliant nose


Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?
Can you please lead my sleigh tonight?


Then how the reindeer loved him
The formerly-derisive reindeer then cherished Rudolph


As they shouted out with glee
The other reindeer erupted in excitement and cheer


Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Rudolph, with his shining red nose


You'll go down in history
You shall remain in memory for ages


Hang your nose down rudy
Lower your nose, Rudy


Hang your nose and cry
Sob as you lower your nose




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@michelealvarino137

Thank you for uploading this! This is my favorite version of the song, and I was disheartened when I recently discovered that Spotify removed it. It's such a fun one to hear each year!

@BigBingFan

People forget how adept Bing was with the Language; He honed his craft on "The Kraft Music Hall," on radio, and always had a knack with words--big ones, rhythmic ones, any old words, and was a huge intellect in his own right. I am a Big Bing Fan, but objectively, his favorite woman duet partner was Miss Ella--boy, how they blended together! I thank you for posting this; somehow, even though I thought I had everything, I didn't. Thanks for psoting!

@HickW

Best version ever!!! <3

@tanyahicks8361

I absolutely love this song!  I work at the Gap and we play a slightly different version and it just makes you dance, dance and dance.  It's a little faster.  But, I love this one too.  One of my favorites!!!

@ishaa5948

Heard this for the first time a few days ago at Walmart. 😍! That back beat is soooo Hip Hop. Too bad they're not around (RIP) to see what Swing has done. Thanks for posting. Now I need to find that other version 😆

@taddyd1

Wish they had recorded some duet lps like the Armstrong and Clooney projects.

@krisj827

I've been looking for this version of this song everywhere. Thanks for posting!!

@akman45304

Wearin' a green fedora smoking a ceegar all day, classic

@BERTRAMCAT

happy new year from Sverige.-. love Ella

@shakirawilliams6539

My favorite of all time

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