I'll Be Your Santa

Album: Single release only (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Penned by Keith Urban with Nashville songwriter Shane McAnally, this Christmas song starts off with a warning that it's going to be a decidedly un-festive holiday.

    The weatherman says it ain't gonna snow this year
    And the fog is too heavy to cut a path for the reindeer
    Urban goes on to promise to bring the holiday cheer to his love interest
    Don't worry baby, I'll be your Santa tonight


    As long as Urban and his lover are together, they don't need anything else to make the holiday season festive.
  • Urban had always wanted to pen a brand new Christmas song, so he invited McAnally to come around to his house and help him. They started writing it in the singer's studio, which he'd decked out with colored Christmas lights, a tree, and tinsel to put them in a festive mood. However, McAnally decided he wanted to write it on Urban's piano in his living room, so they ended up writing it there, where there were no Christmas decorations of any sort.
  • Urban wanted to write a song that travels anywhere and can also be about the romantic side of Christmas Eve. He explained his idea was "this girl is about to have the bleakest Christmas 'cause there's no, there's too much fog, there's no snow, her mom's not going to be able to make it, her sister can't come, it's all going to be a complete mess. And the guy steps up and says it's gonna happen. 'I'll bring the magic.'"
  • This is Urban's first holiday song, but some the track's elements, such as its waltz drum beat, are not a million miles away from sounds Urban has explored in the past, such as those heard on "Blue Ain't Your Color."
  • Directed by his longtime collaborator Chris Hicky, the music clip depicts several Urbans simultaneously playing piano, guitar and bass in a classic Christmas setting. Said the singer: "I wanted to keep the video loose and a bit more performance-based than the actual story line, because everybody has their own version of what a song should look like, so I didn't wanna touch on that too much."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in Rock

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.

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.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.