I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

"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.

This article is about the song. For the film, see I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (film).

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
Ten-inch shellac variant of US picture sleeve
Single by Jimmy Boyd
LanguageEnglish
B-side"Thumbelina"
Released1952 (1952)
Recorded1952 (1952)
Composer(s)Tommie Connor
Lyricist(s)Tommie Connor

Jimmy Boyd original version

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 mom 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.

Boyd's record was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church in Boston when it was released, believing that it described an adulterous encounter. Boyd was photographed meeting with the Archdiocese to explain the song. After the meeting, the ban was lifted.[2]

Cover versions

A slightly less successful version of the song (#7 on the US Charts) was released in 1952 by Spike Jones[3] (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."[4]

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[5] and number eleven.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8] It also peaked at number forty-five on Billboard Holiday 100 on the week ending 6 January 2012,[9] and number one hundred in a Swiss singles chart on the week ending 29 December 2019.[10]

In 1987, a recording by John Cougar Mellencamp featured on the first A Very Special Christmas compilation album, which benefits the Special Olympics.

Film adaptation

A made-for-television movie based on the song was released in 2001.

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[11]
The Jackson 5 version 		Gold 45,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[12]
The Jackson 5 version 		Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "The Top 40 Christmas Oldies Songs". Oldies.about.com. 15 July 1952. Archived from the original on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  2. Nelson, Valerie J. (11 March 2009). "Jimmy Boyd: 1939-2009". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  3. "This Week's Best Buys". Billboard. 6 December 1952. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  4. Young, Jordan R. (1984). Spike Jones and his City Slickers. Disharmony Books. ISBN 9780940410732. Retrieved 25 December 2011. i saw mommy screwing santa claus.
  5. "Official Singles Chart Top 12: 11 December 1953 – 17 December 1953". Official Charts.
  6. "Official Singles Chart Top 12: 18 December 1953 – 24 December 1953". Official Charts.
  7. "The Ronettes: Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 29 November 1987 – 05 December 1987". Official Charts.
  9. "The Jacksons". Billboard.
  10. "Jackson 5 – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  11. "Danish single certifications – The Jackson 5 – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  12. "British single certifications – Jackson 5 – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
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