WHITE CHRISTMAS
 
Bing Crosby
  
Irving Berlin launched the age of popular 
Christmas music when he wrote this song for the 
Astaire-Crosby movie  Holiday Inn . 
Bing later recalled that Berlin referred to the 
song as "an amusing little number" when he first 
auditioned it for him.  

Bing recorded the song for Decca with the  John 
Scott Trotter  orchestra May 29, 1942, at the 
depth of World War II. No doubt the separation 
brought on by the War heightened the impact and 
success of this simple song. Before the year's end, 
"White Christmas" topped the charts, where it stayed 
for 11 weeks. It topped the charts again in 1945 for 
two weeks, and again in 1947 for a week. 
Not bad for 18 minutes work -- the time it took Bing 
to record the song. Bing recorded "White Christmas" 
again for Decca on March 19, 1947, with John Scott 
Trotter's Orchestra. 

It seems the original masters had been worn out in 
all the pressings. "White Christmas" is Bing's 
largest selling recording and the largest selling 
Christmas single of all time -- more than 30 
million copies sold. "White Christmas" also won the  
Academy Award for best song  of 1942. 



Chart 

Debut 
  
Weeks

# 

Label
 
  

 1955

 

1

 
    


 
The sun is shining
The grass is green
The orange and palm trees sway.
I've never seen such a day
In Beverly Hills LA.
But it's December the 24th
And I am longing to be up North.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know.
Where the treetops glisten,
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write.
May your days be merry and bright.
And may all your Christmases be white.