Kentucky has produced some of the most well-known songs in the English language. The Happy Birthday song was created at the Little Loom House on South Louisville’s Kenwood Hill in 1893. There’s another ubiquitous tune echoed throughout the holiday season that got its start in Kentucky.

“You’d better watch out. You’d better not cry. You’d better not pout, I’m telling you why.”

Those words have been sung by Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra, and that’s just a short list of artists who have covered the Christmas classic. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town was originally composed by Haven Gillespie, a Covington, Kentucky native.

The song became a hit in 1933. Even though it’s a cheerful song, it comes from a place of pain, a similar refrain for the most talented songwriters.

“He was beset by personal tragedy, as his younger brother had recently passed away, when a New York contact asked him to write a holiday song,” Andrew Patrick wrote for the Kentucky Historical Society.

“The resulting hit drew on his childhood memories of his mother warning him and his brother to be sure to wash behind their ears, or Santa would take notice. He spun the somewhat bittersweet memory of his childhood Christmases into the jaunty tune that has become a staple of our holiday music.”

The song first hit the public conscience in 1934. Comedian Eddie Cantor sang it during a live radio broadcast during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, just as Santa Claus entered the department store. Within 24 hours, 100,000 copies of the sheet music were sold. Before Christmas, 300,000 people had purchased the sheet music, making it the most popular song in America. You can hear the first recording of the song below, by Tom Stacks and Harry Reser. Perry Como and Bing Crosby kept the song popular in the 1940s, and its legacy was cemented by the Jackson 5 in the 1970s.

The song’s success isn’t what’s most remarkable. Santa Claus was obviously not created by Gillespie, but his lyrics added to the lore. The chorus became instructive, teaching children that Santa is always watching, so you’d better be on your best behavior to ensure a happy Christmas morning.

The success of Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town brought Gillespie fame and fortune. The Tin Pan Alley icon produced more hits, but none of this magnitude. In 1961, a Courier-Journal reporter asked the 73-year-old what he thought whenever the tune was played during the holiday season.

“It’s sort of like a crazy man hitting himself on the head with a hammer–it’s awful good when it stops,” said Gillespie, “but the royalties are so nice.”

Gillespie passed away in 1975 at age 87.

Christmas songs fill the air every December, but few have more of an indelible impact than the one composed by a Kentucky native nearly 100 years ago. After all, the best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.

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