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"Frosty the Snowman" is a song written by Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson.

The song was recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. Like "Jingle Bells" and several other songs about winter, it is considered to be a Christmas song, despite not mentioning Christmas at all. It was written after Autry recorded "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and the single sold two million copies.

When Nelson and Rollins saw what success Autry was having in 1949 singing "Rudolph", they decided to write their own silly but catchy song doing variations on an icon of Christmas. It took them months to decide on a living snowman as their subject, but they still had it ready in time for a 1950 release. Autry, delighted with the opportunity to ride his own recording's coattails back to the top of the charts, recorded it, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The song gained enormous popularity after it hit the market and seemed a fit sequel for "Rudolph", a Christmas song that had been recorded a few years earlier and had proved to be a huge hit.

Lyrics[]

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul,
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal.
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say,
He was made of snow but the children
Know how he came to life one day.
There must have been some magic in that
Old silk hat they found.
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around.
O, Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be,
And the children say he could laugh
And play just the same as you and me.
Frosty the snowman knew
The sun was hot that day,
So he said, "Let's run and
We'll have some fun
Now before I melt away."
Down to the village,
With a broomstick in his hand,
Running here and there all
Around the square saying,
"Catch me if you can."
He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cop.
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler "Stop!"
For Frosty the snowman
Had to hurry on his way,
But he waved goodbye saying,
"Don't you cry,
I'll be back again someday."
Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Look at Frosty go.
Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Over the hills of snow.

Most versions of the song do not include the "thumpety thump thump" part at the end. In addition, some versions, such as the one featured in the Rankin/Bass special, change the line "I'll be back again someday" to "I'll be back on Christmas Day."

Jimmy Durante, the narrator for the Rankin/Bass special, recorded a version separate from it, but still sung along the same lines as the one in it. In this one, he sings it to a young boy who refers to him as "Uncle Jimmy". He refers to Frosty as a close personal friend.

Appearances in Christmas specials[]

Album releases[]

Album Year Notes
Christmas with the Chipmunks 1961
Christmas with the Brady Bunch 1970
Raffi's Christmas Album 1983
We Wish You a Merry Christmas 1993
A Flintstones Motown Christmas 1996 Performed by The Jackson 5.
Nick at Nite: A Classic Cartoon Christmas 1996
Rudolph, Frosty and Friends' Favorite Christmas Songs 1996
Happy Holidays Love, Barney 1997 Sung by Barney the Dinosaur.
The Chipmunks' Greatest Christmas Hits 1999 Sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Disney's Family Christmas Collection 2003
Jingle Jangle Jingle with Hi-5 2004
Songs to Celebrate 25 Days of Christmas 2009
Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites 2010 Recorded as "Perry Saves Christmas", sung by Major Monogram.
Chipmunks Christmas 2012
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