Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
There’s an interesting fact concerning the genesis of this “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”, when you take into consideration for instance that it never mentions Christmas. And that its writers had actually conceptualized it on an extremely hot Californian day where, in spite of the natural heat, Jule Styne encouraged his professional homey Sammy Cahn that the two of them should compose “a winter song”.
There is a reason why that foreknowledge is so compelling. This is because in the first verse when the vocalist talks about the ‘weather outside being frightful’, that was a literal statement from their perspective, as presumably would have been an imaginative desire for snow in contrast to the real-life searing temperature they had to deal with.
But of course, that is not how this song reads in its entirety. It is clearly insinuated in the lyrics that the actual vocalist is rather referring to a very heavy snow, i.e. the type of weather that necessitates lighting a chimney.
And whereas premise-wise he may be hating the current climate, it is also clear that he is finding some delight in the weather, as illustrated by the titular encouragement to “let it snow”. And as implied by the featured narrative, part of that pleasure is found in the fact that the chill and immobility which is part and parcel of a blizzard is granting him the opportunity to play close to the addressee, his significant other. Or put differently, being stuck with her makes the crappy weather, if you will, enjoyable.
So it is indeed true that this is not an actual Christmas tune from a lyrical perspective. More accurately, Let It Snow is a winter-based love song.
Writing Credits for “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
The official title of this song is “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”. But it is more commonly referred to simply as Let It Snow.
This piece was written lyrically by Sammy Cahn (1913-1993). Instrumentally, this song was composed by Jule Styne (1905-1994). Both Sammy and Jule specialized in theater and were regular collaborators.
Vaughn Monroe’s Original Version
The first singer to actually drop “Let It Snow” was Vaughn Monroe (1911-1973), who was also one of those multi-faceted A list musicians/actors from the early 20th century. His version was released in 1945. Monroe’s version topped the Billboard Best Sellers chart, i.e. the original iteration of the Hot 100.
Frank Sinatra and The B. Swanson Quartet’s Version
It was also during July of 1945 that Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) released Let It Snow. Some reports indicate that his version also featured an act known as the The B. Swanson Quartet, or it may be that there were two recordings, one a solo and the other a collaboration.
Either way, it is actually the version with The B. Swanson Quartet that became a major international hit, even by today’s standards. That is to say that Sinatra’s cover managed to chart in over 20 countries, with such success even continuing into the 2020s. And it has likewise been certified gold, as recently as 2021, in the United Kingdom. It has also achieved that standard in a few other nations.
Dean Martin’s Version of “Let It Snow”
Dean Martin (1917-1995), someone who was just as big in entertainment as Frank Sinatra, likewise came out with a cover. Dean’s cover was made public via Columbia Records in October of 1959.
This version was a comparable hit globally, i.e. charting in 20+ nations. But it has performed a lot better on the Billboard Hot 100 than Sinatra’s take. On this listing, Martin’s recording peaked at an impressive number 8. Even more interesting is the fact that it did so as recently as 2018, approximately 60 years after being originally released.
And it wasn’t until around that same time, in 2019, that Dean Martin’s Let It Snow received an official music video, which is actually an animated affair.
More Facts about “Let It Snow”
The above facts would imply that Let It Snow is a Christmas classic, which is correct. And contemporary artists who have covered it to notable chart success include Jessica Simpson (2004), Carly Simon (2005) and the cast of Glee (2011) but especially Rod Stewart in 2012 and Michael Bublé in 2021.
Another lasting testament to this enduring popularity of this turn was when, in 2021, the Apple Store embedded an Easter egg in their globally-popular app that is activated when users conduct a search with the phrase “let it snow”.
Google also came out with its own Let It Snow Easter egg back in 2011 that proved extremely popular.
Additionally, this song has been featured on more movies and television shows than can be mentioned here. But honorable mentions include the likes of the following:
- Cheers (1987)
- Die Hard (1988)
- Friends (2000)
- The Simpsons (2000)
- Glee (2011)
- The Flash (2014 and 2016)
