"Christmas in Dixie" is a Christmas song

Christmas Songs

Christmas Songs is a 2005 album by Diana Krall performed with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. This is Krall's first full-length album of Christmas songs , and her first studio album with a big band. It is her ninth album overall...

 made famous by the country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 band Alabama

Alabama (band)

Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...

. Originally released in 1982, the song was included on Alabama's 1985 Christmas album (titled Alabama Christmas

Alabama Christmas

Alabama Christmas is a Christmas album by country band Alabama. The album was released on RCA Records in 1985, and has since been certified platinum for sales of 2 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America....

), and has since been included on many Christmas compilations in both the country and all-genre fields.

Content

The song is a celebration of Christmas in the southern United States

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

.

The original single release was part of a two-sided holiday release issued by RCA Records

RCA Records

RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...

. The flip side was "Christmas Is Just a Song For Us This Year" by Louise Mandrell

Louise Mandrell

Thelma Louise Mandrell, also known as Louise Mandrell, was born July 13, 1954 and is an American country music singer. She is the younger sister of country singer Barbara Mandrell, and older sister of actress Irlene Mandrell. Louise had a successful singing career in country music with a string of...

 and R.C. Bannon

R.C. Bannon

Daniel Shipley is an American country music singer, known professionally as R.C. Bannon. Active since 1977, Bannon has recorded for the Columbia and RCA labels. He was also married to singer Louise Mandrell from 1979 to 1991, and charted six duets with her in addition to twelve singles of his own...

. A 1997 rerelease had "Thistlehair the Christmas Bear" as its b-side.

Lawsuit

In 2010, Allan Caswell

Allan Caswell

Allan Caswell is an Australian songwriter and performer, author, record producer, freelance journalist and teacher. He has had over 900 songs published and over 500 recordings of his songs worldwide in a career lasting over 30 years....

 sued Alabama over the song, because he thought that it copied part of the theme song he wrote for Prisoner on the Inside.

Chart performance

The original version spent seven weeks on the charts between late 1982 and early 1983, peaking at number 35. It re-entered the chart three times between 1997 and 2000.

Chart (1982-1983)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	35
Chart (1997-1998)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	47
Chart (1998-1999)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	40
Chart (1999-2000)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	37

Covers

The song was covered by Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney

Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...

 on his 2003 album All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan

All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan

All I Want For Christmas Is A Real Good Tan is the eighth album of country music singer Kenny Chesney. It was released on October 7, 2003. His first album of Christmas music, it was certified gold in the U.S....

and featured Alabama's lead singer Randy Owen

Randy Owen

Randy Owen is an American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of Alabama, a country rock band which saw considerable mainstream success throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Although Alabama only records new albums on occasion, Owen himself has maintained a career...

joining him on the track.