Born to a Jewish family in Rochester, New York, Mitchell William Miller and his choir were famed for their campy Sing Along With Mitch television show of the 1960s. During the second season of "Sing Along with Mitch," Mitch Miller himself coined the catch phrase "All Smiles." These were preceded by the instructions to "sing along; just follow the bouncing ball" (a large dot that "bounced" above the words that were superimposed on television of the song that Mitch was singing). Miller's biggest hits with the choir were "The Yellow Rose of Texas," a drum-propelled version of the old March, and "Colonel Bogey March", then enjoying new popularity from its use in the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). In addition to the television show, Miller and his choir recorded a series of best-selling albums.
One of the singers in Miller's choir, Bob McGrath, went on to a long career as one of the hosts of the PBS children's television show, Sesame Street.
As head of artists & repertory (A&R) at Mercury Records in the late forties, and Columbia Records in the fifties and early sixties, Miller gained a reputation for creating records that created what music historian Will Friedwald calls an "aural texture":
“ Miller also conceived of the idea of the pop record 'sound' per se: not so much an arrangement or a tune, but an aural texture (usually replete with extramusical gimmicks) that could be created in the studio and then replicated in live performance, instead of the other way around. Miller was hardly a rock 'n' roller, yet without these ideas there could never have been rock 'n' roll. 'Mule Train,' Miller's first major hit (for Frankie Laine) and the foundation of his career, set the pattern for virtually the entire first decade of rock. The similarities between it and, say, 'Leader of the Pack,' need hardly be outlined here. ”
— Will Friedwald noted in Sinatra: The Song Is You, Da Capo Press, 1997.
While this did not always sit well with Columbia's more established performers (Frank Sinatra, for example), Columbia had an amazing hit-to-release ratio during that time.
Miller signed and produced many important pop standards artists for Columbia, including Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Guy Mitchell (whose pseudonym actually was based on Miller's first name), and helped direct the careers of artists who were already signed to the label, like Doris Day, Dinah Shore and Jo Stafford to just name a few. He therefore became one of the most successful pop music producers ever.
Miller is frequently (and probably unfairly) referred to by rock music historians as an "enemy" of early rock and roll. He did back John Hammond's signing of Bob Dylan to capitalize on the folk music craze. While he did ultimately lose his job as Columbia head for not signing the types of acts teenagers were buying, Miller did originally attempt to sign Elvis Presley, but balked at the amount Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was asking.
A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Miller is also an accomplished oboe and English horn player. He supported himself in his early career in the 1930s and 1940s as a session oboist; among his more celebrated studio dates in the non-classical field were for The Voice of Frank Sinatra and bebop pioneer Charlie Parker's famous Bird With Strings albums. He played in the CBS house orchestra for the 1938 Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast, and he later recorded Sibelius's Swan of Tuonela with Leopold Stokowski for RCA, and the Mozart Oboe Concerto for Columbia. He has also guest-conducted many of the top American orchestras.
Frosty the Snowman
Mitch Miller 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 fairy tale they say
He was made of snow but the children know
How he came to life one day
In that old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around
Oh 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
For Frosty the snowman had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye saying
Don't you cry, I'll be back again some day
Thumpetty thump thump, thumpety thump thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpetty thump thump, thumpety thump thump
Over the hills of snow...
The song "Frosty the Snowman" tells the tale of a snowman that one day came to life. The first verse describes Frosty's appearance with a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal. The second verse acknowledges that Frosty is a fairy tale, but the children who built him were able to make him come to life with the help of a magic silk hat they found. The song then goes on to describe how Frosty took the children on a wild adventure, running through the village and leading them on a chase while singing "catch me if you can". Eventually, Frosty knew he would have to leave before he melted away, but promised to come back again someday.
Overall, the song is a cheerful and playful winter-themed tune that speaks to the childlike wonder and imagination that can come with exploring the outdoors during wintertime. The lyrics are catchy and easily singable, making it a popular song for kids to learn and sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
Frosty, the snowman, had a very happy disposition
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
He had a corncob pipe in his mouth and a button nose on his face
And two eyes made out of coal
His eyes were made out of coal
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale they say
Some people believe that Frosty is not a real entity
He was made of snow but the children know How he came to life one day
Children know that he came to life one day, even though he was made of snow
There must have been some magic In that old silk hat they found
It is believed that the magic to bring Frosty to life was hidden in an old silk hat
For when they placed it on his head He began to dance around
When they placed the hat on his head, he started to dance around
Oh 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 was fully alive and the children said he could laugh and play like any other human
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
Knowing that the sun was hot that day and he might melt, Frosty suggested running and having fun before he did
Down to the village with a broomstick in his hand Running here and there all around the square Saying catch me if you can
Frosty ran around the square, holding a broomstick and daring anyone 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
Frosty led people down the streets until they reached a traffic cop, who shouted at him to stop
For Frosty the snowman had to hurry on his way But he waved goodbye saying Don't you cry, I'll be back again some day
Frosty had to leave on his journey, but he promised people he would be back someday
Thumpetty thump thump, thumpety thump thump Look at Frosty go Thumpetty thump thump, thumpety thump thump Over the hills of snow...
Frosty walked over the hills of snow, making thumping sounds
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Rollins, Steve Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind