Song written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. A big Christmas hit for Slade in 1973, it was covered by Kim Wilde in 2013.
Slade version
Holder and Lea, members of the band Slade, wrote the song based on melodies from discarded songs written six years before. Released in 1973, it became the band’s sixth number-one single in the UK. It earned the UK Christmas Number One slot in December 1973, beating another Christmas-themed song, Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, which reached fourth place. By mid-January it was still at number one; it stayed in the UK Singles Chart well into February 1974. It sold a million copies upon its first release. It is Slade’s last number-one single, but by far their most successful.
The single was certified UK Platinum by BPI in December 1980. Since 2007 and the advent of downloads counting toward the UK Singles Chart, it has re-entered the charts each December. Therefore, it has sold 1.21 million copies in the UK as of December 2012.
Kim Wilde version
Kim Wilde made ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ part of her live set in December 2013. Her cover version was debuted during the encore at a live gig in Saasveld, the Netherlands on 14 December 2013. Kim also performed the song live during Christmas concerts in December 2014, December 2015 and the Wilde Wild Xmas Show in December 2017.
Lyrics
Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall?
It’s the time that every Santa has a ball
Does he ride a red nosed reindeer?
Does a ‘ton up’ on his sleigh
Do the fairies keep him sober for a day?
So here it is merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun
Are you waiting for the family to arrive?
Are you sure you got the room to spare inside?
Does your granny always tell ya that the old songs are the best?
Then she’s up and rock ‘n’ rollin’ with the rest
So here it is merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun
What will your daddy do
When he sees your Mama kissin’ Santa Claus?
Ah ah
Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall?
Are you hoping that the snow will start to fall?
Do you ride on down the hillside in a buggy you have made?
When you land upon your head then you’ve been slayed
So here it is merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun