Marshmallow World

Album: Merry Christmas (1950)
Charted: 24
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by the Brill Building songwriters Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose, "Marshmallow World" is a popular Christmas song, although it doesn't specifically mention the holiday. A celebration of the joys of winter, it has been covered by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Brenda Lee, Johnny Mathis, and a Phil Spector-produced version by Darlene Love. It has appeared on Christmas albums by Regis Philbin (with Steve Tyrell) and the Cheetah Girls. In The Carl Sigman Songbook, Sigman's son Michael writes: The first verse alone makes you want to start a snowball fight and then sit around the fire enjoying some seasonal sweets:

    It's a marshmallow world in the winter
    When the snow comes to cover the ground
    It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day
    I wait for it the whole year round
  • Dean Martin performed this live with pal Frank Sinatra on the Christmas episode of The Dean Martin Show on December 21, 1967. The following year, he sang it again on the show, this time accompanied by a pair of female dancers wearing Santa suit mini-dresses. (Martin's version is featured on the 1966 Dean Martin Christmas Album).
  • Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood covered this on their 2016 Christmas duets album, Christmas Together.
  • Darlene Love's soulful version soundtracked the Marks & Spencer 2021 Christmas advert. The UK retailer's "make the season anything but ordinary" commercial stars actress Madisyn Ritland in an Alice In Wonderland-esque adventure.
  • Johnny Mathis' version was used on the Malcolm In The Middle episode "Hal's Christmas Gift" (2004) when Lois wages a car battle against a snooty woman in a shopping mall parking lot.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.