| I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | |
| Cover: | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by Jimmy Boyd US vinyl 10-inch shellac.png |
| Caption: | Ten-inch shellac variant of US picture sleeve |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Jimmy Boyd |
| Language: | English |
| B-Side: | Thumbelina |
| Composer: | Tommie Connor |
| Lyricist: | Tommie Connor |
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a Christmas song with music and lyrics by British songwriter Tommie Connor and first recorded by American singer Jimmy Boyd in 1952.[1] The song has since been covered by many artists, with the Ronettes's 1963 and the Jackson 5's 1970 versions being the most famous.
The original recording by Jimmy Boyd, recorded on 15 July 1952, when he was 13 years old,[1] reached No. 1 on the Billboard pop singles chart in December 1952, and on the Cash Box chart at the beginning of the following year. It later reached number three in the UK Singles Chart when released there in November 1953. The song was commissioned by Saks Fifth Avenue to promote the store's Christmas card for the year, which featured an original sketch by artist Perry Barlow, who drew for The New Yorker for many decades.
The song describes a scene where a child walks downstairs from his bedroom on Christmas Eve to see his mother kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe. The lyric concludes with the child wondering how his father will react on hearing of the kiss, unaware of the possibility that Santa Claus is merely his father in a costume.
It was reported that Boyd's record was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church and Banned in Boston when it was released, believing that it described an adulterous encounter. The story goes that Boyd was then photographed meeting with the Archdiocese Of Boston to explain the joke behind the song, after which the ban was lifted.[2] However, the Archdiocese has no records of any ban, and no contemporaneous records or photographs can be found of a meeting between Boyd and any officials and the story appears to be a myth.[3]
A slightly less successful version of the song (#7 on the US Charts) was released in 1952 by Spike Jones[4] (with vocal by George Rock in the little boy voice used in Spike's hit "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"). Jones also recorded a parody for his personal pleasure titled "I Saw Mommy Screwing Santa Claus."[5]
A recording by 13-year-old Molly Bee appeared on the US Country charts in 1952.
Versions by the Beverley Sisters and by Billy Cotton and His Band charted on the UK Singles Chart in December 1953, peaking at, respectively, number six[6] and number eleven.[7]
The Ronettes recorded their own version in 1963 for A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. The version peaked at number eighty-four on Billboard Holiday 100 on the week ending 9 December 2016.[8]
The Jackson 5 recorded the song for their 1970 Christmas album. The version entered the UK Singles Chart on its peak position, number ninety-one, on the week ending 5 December 1987, and charted there for four weeks total.[9] It also peaked at number forty-five on Billboard Holiday 100 on the week ending 6 January 2012,[10] and number one hundred in a Swiss singles chart on the week ending 29 December 2019.[11]
In 1987, a recording by John Cougar Mellencamp featured on the first A Very Special Christmas compilation album, which benefits the Special Olympics.
A made-for-television movie based on the song was released in 2001.
| Peak position | ||
| Australia (ARIA)[12] | 97 | |
|---|---|---|
| Global 200 (Billboard)[13] | 79 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 43 | |
| US Holiday 100 (Billboard)[15] | 30 |