Sunday, December 7, 2014

The Reindeer Strikes BACK!

The Reindeer Strikes Back.
NOTE:   This will be the last blog post of 2014.   I am in the process of moving, and won’t be able to work on anything writing related.  See ya next year!

Written by Randy Brooks, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” was first recorded in 1979 by a couple, Elmo Shropshire and Patsy Trgg [1](though she was not in the song at all.)   However, it would be 5 more years until it hit the charts.  The song is about a grandmother, “Grandma,” who got run over by a “Reindeer,” while in the midst of walking home on Christmas Eve.   The song has a few stanzas separated by the chorus:

                                “Grandma got run over by a reindeer,
walking home from our house Christmas Eve…
you may say there’s no such thing as Santa,
but as for me and grandpa we believe.”

                The song has also inspired several parody songs, a TV special (in 2000), and made many fans all over the world.   There have been plush toys made, and also animated specials.
So what is the purpose of this blog post?  What has possessed me to listen to this song again…risking life, limb, and song headache?  Well, I heard it every year from like 1984, to like 1990s.  Then for like 10 years, I didn’t hear it, and was very glad of this.  Did not even give it a passing thought;   until I happened in a Waffle House in 2000, and they were playing it on the jukebox.  I made the mistake of saying I had successfully managed to avoid it.  So of course the staff made it a point to start singing it when they would come by.  The one guy even said, “I wish I had a buck so I could play it over and over and over.”  But he actually redeemed himself when we started talking Classical Music.
Well, then I had another respite from it, and for around 14 years, I did not hear it…until today.   Walking into Scrambler Maries, they were playing it on the speaker.  I was like “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”  So now I have to suffer from the worse headache making song ever!   And now I pass it along to you.


You’re welcome!  And Happy Holidays!




[1] Copyright 1984 by Kris Publishing (SESAC) and Elmo Publishing (SESAC)