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.
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Mitch Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Underneath the mistletoe last night.
She didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep;
She thought that I was tucked
Up in my bedroom fast asleep.
Then, I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white;
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.
I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night.
She didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep;
She thought that I was tucked
Up in my bedroom fast asleep.
Then, I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white;
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.
Mitch Miller's "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus" is a classic Christmas song that has been loved by audiences of all ages since its release. The lyrics describe the imagination of a child who sees his mother kissing Santa Claus, only to find out that it was his father in a Santa Claus costume. The song is upbeat, light-hearted and has a fun, catchy melody that makes it easy to sing along to.
The first verse describes how the child sees his mother kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe. He sneaks down the stairs to catch a glimpse of the magic, while his mother believes he is fast asleep in his bedroom. In the second verse, the child watches as his mother tickles Santa Claus under his beard. The child thinks it is funny, but he realizes that the situation could have been farcical if his father had walked in on them.
The song has become a classic Christmas tune, and it has been covered by numerous artists over the years. It was first recorded by Jimmy Boyd in 1952, and since then, it has been reinterpreted by artists such as The Jackson 5, John Mellencamp, and Jessica Simpson.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
I witnessed my mother kissing someone dressed as Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night.
This event occurred under a plant associated with holiday traditions that symbolizes love and friendship.
She didn't see me creep
My mother was unaware of my presence
Down the stairs to have a peep;
Curious about the activity, I quietly descended the stairs to observe.
She thought that I was tucked Up in my bedroom fast asleep.
My mother was under the impression I was already asleep in my room.
Then, I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus
The event continued with my mother tickling the Santa Claus character.
Underneath his beard so snowy white;
The tickling occurred in the vicinity of Santa Claus’ beard.
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
The situation was humorous and would have elicited a positive reaction under different circumstances.
If Daddy had only seen
My mother’s actions would have seemed concerning if my father had been present.
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.
My mother engaged in an apparently flirtatious interaction with someone dressed as Santa Claus.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music
Written by: Tommie Connor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind