It’s barely the middle of November, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start listening to a classic Christmas tune courtesy of the always-amazing Susan Boyle.
In 2013, the Got Talent icon released her second Christmas album, Home For Christmas, filled with 12 unforgettable holiday hits. One of our favorites is her warm cover of Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song.” Yoi probably know it as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.”
Most fans have heard Cole’s version of “The Christmas Song” countless times throughout their lives, but something about Boyle’s cover hits differently.
Her soft vocals feel like they’re floating with the music. The song’s slow tempo gives Boyle plenty of room to show off her amazing range and tone. It’s lovely, it’s moving, and it’s unabashedly Boyle.
Have a listen, below, and add this track to all your Christmas playlists.
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What to know about “The Christmas Song” (a.k.a “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”)
Originally written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé, “The Christmas Song” was first recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio one year later. Cole famously recorded updated versions of the song throughout his career — including a 1961 stereophonic version accompanied by a full orchestra that many fans consider the “definitive” version of the track.
Believe it or not, the song was written during the summer of 1945. Tormé recalled that he would do anything to beat the oppressive July heat — including pen the now-iconic lyrics. “I thought that maybe, you know, if I could just write down a few lines of wintery verse I could psychologically get an edge over this heat,” he told NPR in 2017.
When the writers showed off their rudimentary version of “The Christmas Song” to Cole, the legendary singer and pianist jumped at the opportunity to record a studio version.
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“Played the song once for Nat and he said, play that again,” Tormé explained. “And they played it one more time. And before they could get it done, he said, ‘Stop everything. That’s my song.'”
In addition to being one of the most beloved Christmas songs ever recorded, the track has also cemented its place in history as one of the most significant of all time. In 1974, the original 1946 version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2022, the 1961 version was selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the United States National Recording Registry, an honor bestowed on songs considered to be culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
