Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – The Temptations

The story of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer was written in 1939 by Robert L. May, a copywriter for the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward department stores, as a promotional gift for the store’s customers. The stores had bought and distributed coloring books every Christmas and saw writing their own story as a way to save money.

Montgomery Ward distributed 2.4 million copies of the Rudolph booklet in 1939. A total of 6 million copies had been given out by the end of 1946, even though wartime paper shortages restricted printing. Rudolph’s story was made into a song when May’s brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marks, developed the lyrics and melody for it. Marks’ musical version was first recorded by Gene Autry in 1949, selling 2 million copies that year.

Download “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” Here!

Song Lyrics

Paul:
You know there’s Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen

Dennis:
Comet and Cupid an Donner and Blitzen

Eddie:
Oh, but do you recall…

Otis:
The most famous reindeer of all?

Eddie:
Whoa-o-o-o-o

Melvin:
His name is…

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows

All of the other, other, other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games

Then one foggy Christmas eve
You know Santa came to say…

Hey Rudolph
You, with your nose so bright
Melvin: Come on, come on, come on, come on and guide my sleigh tonight

Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee. Hey Rudolph
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
You’ll go down in history

Then one foggy Christmas eve
Santa came to say…

Hey Rudolph
You, with your nose so bright
Melvin: Come on, come on, come on, come on and guide my sleigh tonight

Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee. Hey Rudolph
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
You’ll go down in history

Ooo, Rudolph, come on and guide my sleigh
Ooo, Rudolph, come on and guide my sleigh
Hey, hey, hey, Rudolph, come on and guide my sleigh tonight
Hey, hey, hey, Rudolph, with your nose so bright