Taylor was born as Cora Walton on a farm just outside Memphis, Tennessee. In 1954, Taylor left Memphis for Chicago with her husband, truck driver Robert "Pops" Taylor. In the late 1950s she began singing in Chicago blues clubs and was spotted by Willie Dixon in 1962, leading to wider performances and her first recording contract. In 1965, Taylor was signed by Chess Records, for which her single Wang Dang Doodle (written by Dixon, and a hit for Howlin' Wolf five years earlier) became a major hit, reaching number four on the R&B charts in 1966 and selling a million copies. Taylor recorded many versions of this Dixon-penned song over the past several decades and added more material, both original and covers, but never repeated that initial chart success.
National touring in the late 1960s and early 1970s improved her fan base, and she became accessible to a wider record-buying public when she signed with Alligator Records in 1975. Recording over a dozen albums for that label (many nominated for Grammy awards), she came to dominate the female blues singer ranks, winning 24 W. C. Handy Awards -- more than any other artist. After her recovery from a near-fatal car crash in 1989, the 1990s found Taylor in movies such as Blues Brothers 2000. She opened a blues club on Division St. in Chicago in 1994, but closed it in 1999. Taylor released a new album in 2007 called "Old School."
Koko Taylor influenced such musicians as Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, Janis Joplin, Shannon Curfman, and Susan Tedeschi.
Koko Taylor died on the afternoon of June 3rd 2009 (at the age of 80), while recovering from surgery to repair gastrointestinal bleeding. Koko Taylor is still referred to by fellow blues musicians and her fans as the "Queen of the Blues".
Merry Merry Christmas
Koko Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Christmas everywhere
Merry, merry Christmas
Christmas in the air
Christmas in chicago
New York, too
Way down in New Orleans
And right here with you
Merry, merry Christmas
Santa Claus is coming to town
Jingle bells are ringing
Mistletoe's all around
Twenty-fifth day of December
Happy as I can be
Santa Claus brought me a present
That the whole world can see
Merry, merry Christmas
Let every joy bell ring
Merry, merry Christmas
Lift up your voice and sing
Snowman on the rooftop
Reindeer, too
Crying out, "Merry Christmas And Happy New Year, too!"
Hey Mister Rudolph!
Bring Santa home to me!
We're gonna have Christmas, alright
And light up that Christmas tree
We'll have all the trimmings
And all the goodies, too
Turkey on the table
Waiting just for you
Merry, merry Christmas
Let every doorbell ring
Merry, merry Christmas
Lift up your voice and sing
Snowman on the rooftop
Reindeer, too
Crying out, "Merry Christmas And Happy New Year, too!"
Merry Christmas, oh yeah
Merry Christmas, uh-huh
Hey, Mister Reindeer!
Oh, Mister Reindeer!
Come on, bring Santa home to me
We're gonna have Christmas
I got a surprise for him over here
Oh, Mister Reindeer!
Oh, Mister Reindeer!
Come on, bring Santa
Hey, hey
In Koko Taylor's song "Merry, Merry Christmas," she celebrates the beloved holiday and all its festivity across the United States. The song begins with a repeated refrain of "Merry, merry Christmas, Christmas everywhere; Merry, merry Christmas, Christmas in the air," which sets the tone for celebration and anticipation. She notes that Christmas is represented in different ways across the country, mentioning Chicago, New York, and New Orleans. She also highlights the presence of Santa Claus, jingle bells, and mistletoe.
Taylor continues to sing about the joy of the holiday, bringing up the date of December 25th, which is symbolic of the birth of Jesus Christ, and how happy she is. She mentions receiving a present from Santa Claus that "the whole world can see," perhaps referring to his gift of love and peace to all people. As the song comes to an end, she encourages everyone to "lift up [their] voice and sing" and to enjoy all the trimmings and goodies that come with the holiday, like turkey on the table.
Overall, "Merry, Merry Christmas" is a joyful song that emphasizes the universal celebration of the holiday and the happiness it brings to people across the country.
Line by Line Meaning
Merry, merry Christmas
Celebrate the joyous occasion of Christmas with enthusiasm and delight
Christmas everywhere
The spirit of Christmas is evident and widespread across the globe
Christmas in the air
The happiness of Christmas is in everyone's hearts
Christmas in chicago
Chicago glows with Christmas decorations and festivity
New York, too
New York is not left behind in Christmas celebrations
Way down in New Orleans
Even the farthest areas like New Orleans are not untouched by the essence of Christmas
And right here with you
Celebrating Christmas together with someone special
Santa Claus is coming to town
Get ready to welcome the beloved Santa Claus with open arms
Jingle bells are ringing
The sound of jingles suggests that Christmas is here
Mistletoe's all around
Mistletoe is hung up everywhere as a sign of love and affection
Twenty-fifth day of December
The day of Christmas which is celebrated on the 25th of December all over the world
Happy as I can be
The festival of Christmas brings immense joy and happiness
Santa Claus brought me a present
The lovely Santa has blessed me with a gift
That the whole world can see
This present is so special that everyone would be able to see and admire it
Let every joy bell ring
The bells of joy should keep ringing and spreading happiness
Lift up your voice and sing
Sing carols and make the Christmas atmosphere more lively
Snowman on the rooftop
Build a snowman on the rooftop to indicate the coming of Christmas
Reindeer, too
Don't forget to put up a reindeer for Christmas decorations
Crying out, 'Merry Christmas And Happy New Year, too!'
Shout out loud and wish everyone a happy Christmas and New Year
Hey Mister Rudolph!
Addressing Rudolph, the most famous reindeer who guides Santa's sleigh
Bring Santa home to me!
Requesting Rudolph to bring Santa to celebrate Christmas together
We're gonna have Christmas, alright
Let's make Christmas happen with joy and laughter
And light up that Christmas tree
Make the Christmas tree shine bright with the decoration lights
We'll have all the trimmings
Let's gather everything that we'll need to make this a perfect Christmas
And all the goodies, too
And also lots of food to munch on
Turkey on the table
A classic Christmas mealie with turkey on the table
Waiting just for you
The turkey is cooked to perfection and is just waiting for you to savour it
Let every doorbell ring
May every doorbell ring with love and joy this Christmas
Merry Christmas, oh yeah
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas
Hey, Mister Reindeer!
Another request to Rudolph with the same enthusiasm
Come on, bring Santa home to me
Bring Santa fast to celebrate Christmas together
I got a surprise for him over here
A surprise gift for Santa is kept in store
Oh, Mister Reindeer!
C'mon Rudolph, let's go
Come on, bring Santa
Don't waste any time, bring Santa now
Merry, merry Christmas
One final wish for a happy and cheerful Christmas
Merry Christmas, uh-huh
Christmas greetings and jubilation continues
Mister Reindeer!
Santa's sleigh is incomplete without Rudolph.
Writer(s): Taylor
Contributed by Ellie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.