Durante was born in New York City, the third of four children born to Mitch Durante (1855 –1929) and Margaret Durante (1858–1936). A product of working-class New York, Durante dropped out of school in the eighth grade to become a full-time ragtime pianist, working the city circuit and earning the nickname "Ragtime Jimmy," before he joined one of the first recognizable jazz bands in New York, the Original New Orleans Jazz Band. Durante was the only member of the group who didn't hail from New Orleans. His routine of breaking into a song to deliver a joke, with band or orchestra chord punctuation after each line became a Durante trademark. In 1920, the group was renamed Jimmy Durante's Jazz Band.
Durante became a vaudeville star and radio attraction by the mid-1920s, with a music and comedy trio called Clayton, Jackson and Durante. (Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson, probably Durante's closest friends, often reunited with Durante professionally.) By 1934, he had a major record hit, his own novelty composition "Inka Dinka Doo," and it became his signature song for practically the rest of his life. A year later, Durante starred in the Billy Rose stage musical, Jumbo, in which a police officer stopped him while leading a live elephant and asked him, "What are you doing with that elephant?" Durante's reply, "What elephant?", was a regular show-stopper.
He began appearing in motion pictures at about the same time, beginning with a comedy series pairing him with silent film legend Buster Keaton and continuing with such offerings as The Wet Parade (1932), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942, playing Banjo, a character based on Harpo Marx), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962, based on the 1935 musical) and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).
Frosty The Snowman
Jimmy Durante Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal
Frosty the snowman is a fairytale they say
He was made of snow but the children
Know how he came to life one day
There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say he could laugh
And play just the same as you and me
Frosty the snowman
Knew the sun was hot that day
So he said
Let's run and
We'll have some fun
Now before I melt away
Down to the village
With a broomstick in his hand
Running here and there all
Around the square saying
Catch me if you can
He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cop
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler "stop!"
Thumpity-thump-thump
Thumpity-thump-thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpity-thump-thump
Thumpity-thump-thump
Over the hills of snow
Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal
Frosty the snow man
Had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye saying
Don't you cry
I'll be back on Christmas Day!
The lyrics of “Frosty the Snowman” are a delightful story of a snowman that comes to life and brings joy to children. The song starts by introducing Frosty, a happy and jolly snowman with a corncob pipe and a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal. The lyrics evoke an image of a snowman with a cheerful disposition, which is why the children love him. Even though some may think that Frosty is a fairytale, children know that he came to life one day, thanks to a magic silk hat they found. The hat is the reason why Frosty can dance and entertain the children.
The second part of the song is about how Frosty interacts with the children. He knows that he is made of snow and can melt away in the sun. Hence, he suggests that they have fun before he melts away. Frosty leads the children through the streets where he entertains them with his antics. He even runs into a traffic cop who tries to stop him, but Frosty continues on his way, unimpeded. The song ends with Frosty waving goodbye to the children, promising to return on Christmas Day.
Line by Line Meaning
Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
Frosty the snowman was a very merry and joyful being
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
He had a smoking pipe and a nose made of buttons
And two eyes made out of coal
He had two eyes created from coal
Frosty the snowman is a fairytale they say
Frosty the snowman is believed by some to only exist in stories or legends
He was made of snow but the children Know how he came to life one day
Although he was a snowman, children were aware of how he was brought to life
There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found
It is suspected that the old silk hat they discovered had some kind of enchantment or sorcery
For when they placed it on his head, He began to dance around
Once the hat was put on Frosty's head, he started to move and boogie
Frosty the snowman Was alive as he could be, And the children say he could laugh And play just the same as you and me
The children claimed that Frosty was as lively as possible and amused himself just like any human being
Frosty the snowman Knew the sun was hot that day
Frosty was aware of how warm it was outside that day
So he said Let's run and We'll have some fun Now before I melt away
He proposed they run and have fun before he melted
Down to the village With a broomstick in his hand Running here and there all Around the square saying Catch me if you can
With a broomstick on his hand, he went to the village and ran around the square, taunting them to catch him
He led them down the streets of town Right to the traffic cop And he only paused a moment when He heard him holler stop!
He led them through the streets and right to a traffic cop and briefly stopped when the cop demanded it
Thumpity-thump-thump Thumpity-thump-thump Look at Frosty go Thumpity-thump-thump Thumpity-thump-thump Over the hills of snow
As he moved over the snowy hills, the sound of his footsteps was heard
Frosty the snowman had to hurry on his way, But he waved goodbye saying Don't you cry I'll be back on Christmas Day!
Frosty had to leave quickly, but he said farewell and promised to come back on Christmas Day
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Rollins, Steve Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind