This popular novelty tune written by Donald Yetter Gardner in 1946. Gardner was a music teacher who noticed that most of his young pupils were missing their baby teeth. With that observation as inspiration, Gardner went home and wrote the words and music in about half an hour. As a recording, it was a success in 1948 for Spike Jones (pictured above) and the City Slickers. The words were sung in a child’s voice by George Rock, one of the Slickers. Danny Kaye, the Andrews Sisters and Nat King Cole all recorded it and it was a Top Ten hit again in 1955 when it was sung by seven-year-old Barry Gordon.
Everybody stops and stares at me.
These two teeth are gone as you can see.
I don’t know just who to blame for this catastrophe,
But my one wish on Christmas Eve is as plain as can be
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,
My two front teeth, see my two front teeth.
Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth,
Then I could wish you “Merry Christmas.”
It seems so long since I could say,
“Sister Susie sitting on a thistle.”
Gosh, oh gee, how happy I’d be
If I could only whistle.
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,
My two front teeth, see my two front teeth
Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth,
Then I could wish you “Merry Christmas.”