"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is a
novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner
(b. 20 August 1913, Portland, Pennsylvania – d. 15 September
2004, Brockton, Massachusetts) while teaching music at public
schools in Smithtown, New York. He asked his second grade class
what they wanted for Christmas, and noticed that almost all of
the students had at least one front tooth missing as they
answered in a lisp. Gardner wrote the song in 30 minutes. In a
1995 interview, Gardner said, "I was amazed at the way that
silly little song was picked up by the whole country." The song
was published in 1948 after an employee of Witmark music
company heard Gardner sing it at a music teachers
conference.
The song was originally recorded by Spike Jones & His
City Slickers on December 6, 1948, with lead vocal by George
Rock. That version reached the top of pop charts in 1949. The
song has also been recorded by numerous other singers and
performers, including George Strait, Danny Kaye with The
Andrews Sisters, The Platters, The Kelly Family, Nat King Cole
(reportedly Gardner's favorite version), The Chipmunks, the
Hampton String Quartet and the cast of
Sesame Street.
Drag performer and singer RuPaul parodied the song on her
Christmas album
Ho, Ho, Ho. In RuPaul's version, which is an up-tempo
electronica/disco style, she lists the various plastic surgery
procedures she wants for Christmas, so she can, as she sings,
"Look real purdy!".
Country music parodist Cledus T. Judd parodied the song on
his 2002 Christmas album
Cledus Navidad. Titled "All I Want For Christmas Is Two
Gold Front Teef", Judd's parody is performed in rap.