"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century Christmas carol from the West Country of England. Its origin lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as "figgy pudding" that were very much like modern day Christmas puddings. It is one of the few traditional holiday carols that makes mention of the New Year celebration. The simple chorus and holiday greetings have made it a popular finale to many holiday specials over the years.
Lyrics[]
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
[Chorus]
Good tidings we bring (or: Good tidings to you)
To you and your kin (or: Wherever you are)
Good tidings for Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Now bring us some figgy pudding
Now bring us some figgy pudding
Now bring us some figgy pudding
And bring it right here
[Chorus]
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
So bring some right here
[Chorus]
[First verse repeated]
Appearances in Christmas specials[]
- Christmas at Pooh Corner (1983)
- Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: "Thomas' Christmas Party" (1984) - Thomas and his friends sing the song at the end.
- The Jetsons: "A Jetson Christmas Carol" (1985) - The Jetsons sing the song at the very end of the episode.
- Disney's Very Merry Christmas Songs (1988)
- Kids Sing Christmas (1988)
- A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) - The Muppets from The Muppet Show and Sesame Street sing the song as the special's closing number.
- Rockin' Reindeer Christmas (1990)
- Barney & the Backyard Gang: Waiting for Santa (1990)
- Home Alone (1990)
- Eureeka's Castle: Christmas at Eureeka's Castle (1990)
- The Best Christmas Ever! (1990)
- Back to the Future: "Dickens of a Christmas" (1991)
- Dinosaurs: "Refrigerator Day" (1991) - Parodied as "We Wish You a Merry 'Fridge Day", which is sung by a group of Unisaur carolers in a commercial for paint.
- Disney's Christmas Fantasy on Ice (1992; instrumental)
- Full House: "A Very Tanner Christmas" (1992)
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas (1992)
- A Goof Troop Christmas: Have Yourself a Goofy Little Christmas (1992) - Goofy sings the song as he's setting up his Christmas decorations in asprin, disturbing Pete's sleep in the process.
- Disney's The Twelve Days of Christmas (1993)
- Bonkers: "Miracle at the 34th Precinct" (1993) - Bonkers D. Bobcat sings the song when he shows up at the Piquel residence early on in the episode.
- Animaniacs: "A Christmas Plotz" (1993) - At the beginning of the segment, a group of carolers sing the song at the Warner Bros. studio until an annoyed Thaddeus Plotz throws a fruitcake at them.
- A Flintstone Family Christmas (1993)
- Alpha's Magical Christmas (1994)
- Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: "I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger" (1995)
- The Huggabug Club: "Cuddly Christmas" (1995)
- Gullah Gullah Island: "A Gullah Gullah Christmas" (1995)
- Jingle All the Way (1996)
- Kenan & Kel: "Merry Christmas, Kenan" (1996)
- Allegra's Window: "Mr. Cook's Christmas" (1996)
- Tots TV: "Snowy Adventure" (1996) - Tom sings the song to himself.
- Tots TV: "Christmas Decorations" (1996) - Tom sings the song to himself.
- Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (1997)
- Teletubbies: "Christmas Carols" (1997) - The control panel in the house plays the song while Dipsy is making adjustments in the first scene.
- Barney's Night Before Christmas (1999) - In the video version, the carolers sing the song to Barney and the children.
- Timon & Pumbaa: "Don't Be Elfish" (1999)
- Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
- Dinnerladies: "Christmas" (1999) - Played by the Black Dyke Band and then they play "Happy Birthday to You" as Mr Michael dressed as Santa Claus comes in shivering out of the snow.
- Little People "Christmas Discoveries": "Maggie's Gift of Music" (2000) - Maggie conducts the instruments to play the song with her baton in the intro.
- Tweenies: "Invitations" (2000)
- Tweenies: "Mousehole Theatre" (2000)
- Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember (2001)
- Barney's Christmas Star (2002) - Barney, Baby Bop, BJ and their friends sing the song at the end.
- Rugrats: "Babies in Toyland" (2002) - The carol singers sing the song at the beginning and the Rugrats' parents sing the song at the end.
- Elmo's World: Happy Holidays! (2002)
- It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
- Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)
- "Gift of the Dinos" (2007)
- Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! (2009) - Dr. Doofenshmirtz gets a visit from a group of carolers singing the song. When they get to the verses demanding he bring them some figgy pudding, he takes umbrage at this and fires up his Naughty-inator. Later, it is covered by Sal Tuscany, included on Perry's A Sal Tuscany Christmas CD, which Dr. Doofenshmirtz starts playing himself.
- Phineas and Ferb: "A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas" (2011) - The whole cast sings the version from the Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites album as the closing number.
- The Simpsons: "White Christmas Blues" (2013)
- Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: "A Cranky Christmas" (2016) - The song is sung briefly twice, though "happy" in the lyric "And a Happy New Year" is changed both times, first by Salty singing, "And a Salty New Year," then by Cranky singing, "And a Cranky New Year."
- ALVINNN!! and The Chipmunks: "A Very Merry Chipmunk" (2020)
- Broken Karaoke: "Scary Holiday Song" (2021) - The song is parodied as part of the titular musical number.
- GizmoGO!: "Quantum Christmas" (2022) - The whole live-action guest cast sings the song as the closing number.
Album releases[]
Versions with the original lyrics[]
Versions with alternate lyrics[]
Album | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together | 1979 | The song gets interrupted twice - when Gonzo sings, "Now bring us some figgy pudding," Miss Piggy stops him, thinking he said, "piggy pudding". He corrects her saying it's made of figs before adding "and bacon" under his breath. John Denver also has to calm Animal down when they get to "We won't go until we get some". |
Ren & Stimpy's Crock O' Christmas | 1993 | As "We Wish You a Hairy Chestwig". This version was later included on the 1997 album Nick at Nite: A Classic Cartoon Christmas, Too. |
Pokémon Christmas Bash | 2001 | Sung as part of the "Pokémon Christmas Medley". |
Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites | 2010 | At the time of the album's release, the Disney Channel and Disney XD ran a music video of the song, set to clips from episodes of the show (including Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!) and some newly-made animation. This version of the song was also featured at the end of "A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas". |
Annoying Orange Presents: Christmas in the Kitchen | 2012 | While most of the original lyrics exist, Orange interrupts the third verse (which is actually the second one in this version) to ask what they are getting, and after Midget Apple sings the first two lines of the chorus, Orange sings, "Even if you are stuck inside a pickle jar," annoying the others before they all sing the first verse normally and twice. |
It's a Pony Kind of Christmas | 2015 | Sung by Twilight Sparkle, with different lyrics. |
External links[]
- Disney Wiki: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Muppet Wiki: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Phineas and Ferb Wiki: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Wiki: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
content from Wikipedia (view authors). |