Sleigh Ride

Year: 1946

Written By: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish

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The song Sleigh Ride is a popular musical piece composed by Leroy Anderson during a heat wave in the summer of 1946. The musical score, which took 2 years to write, was finished in 1948.  The first recording was done in 1949 by Arthur Fieldler and The Boston Pops Orchestra.  Over time, this song became known as The Boston Pops "signature" song.  In 1950, Mitchell Parish wrote the lyrics to the song.

Although many people associate Sleigh Ride with Christmas, the original lyrics of the song never mention Christmas or any other holiday for that matter. Recently, some performing artists have changed the wording of one of the stanzas of the song and use the phrase "Christmas party" instead of "birthday party" probably due to the fact that the song is largely played during the Christmas season.

The lyrics for the song Sleigh Ride also mention "pumpkin pie".  This fact has led some people to argue that the song is in fact about the holiday of Thanksgiving, not Christmas. Detractors of this theory quickly note that pumpkin pie is also served at Christmas time as well as during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Sleigh Ride also mentions "Currier and Ives".  This company was a very popular American printing company located in New York City which was owned by Nathaniel Currier and James Ives.   Known for its wonderfully detailed yet inexpensive prints and pictures, Currier and Ives closed in 1907, decades before the song was written. However, most Americans in the 1940's and 1950's would have understood the reference.

According to the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Sleigh Ride, is on the list of the top 10 most performed Christmas songs.  In 2010, the song was named the most popular song in the USA. Many artists have performed the song including Neil Diamond, Andy Williams, The Spice Girls, Kenny G, and The Carpenters.