How do you sing it?

You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen...

That the start of one of the favorite children's Christmas songs of all time.  We all know the words, but what about all the extra words everyone sings?  Do you know the same ones that the kid from the next school over does?  Do you sing the same ones that your mom and dad do?

The standard words (written by Johnny Mercer in 1954) are

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 reindeer,

Used to laugh and call him names.

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve,

Santa came to say,

"Rudolph with your nose so bright,

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him,

And they shouted out with glee,

"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer,

You'll go down in history!"

What extra words do you add in?  Is his nose like a flashlight or a light bulb?  Do the reindeer play Monopoly or baseball?  Does Santa 'Ho! Ho! Ho!' or show up in his underwear?  Does Rudolph go down in history like George Washington or Columbus?

Are there any other Christmas songs that you use different words to?

If you'd like to see Rudolph's whole story join us at the Henry Ford Centennial Library for the Rankin-Bass favorites - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.  There will be a craft at 1:30PM, Saturday December 20 and the movies to follow at 2PM.