The Night Santa Went Crazy
Encyclopedia
"The Night Santa Went Crazy" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic
. The darkly humorous Christmas song
is performed as a style parody of "Black Gold
" by Soul Asylum
, with melodic references to "Mama I'm Comin' Home
" by Ozzy Osbourne
and "I Believe in Father Christmas
" by Greg Lake
. It is the twelfth and final track on the album Bad Hair Day
.
making Christmas presents for good, "Gentile
" children. Suddenly, a drunken Santa bursts in with a rifle in his hand, and covered with ammunition
. He says, "Merry Christmas to all Now you're all gonna' die" then proceeds to destroy half of the North Pole
, bombing the workshop, murdering and holding elves hostage, and killing 7 of the 9 reindeer in various gruesome ways (Donner and Vixen were spared, although not without post-traumatic stress disorder
). The National Guard
and FBI
come to restore order, with the Eyewitness News
broadcasting the incident and the ensuing battle between Santa and the government forces. Finally, Santa is arrested and locked up in a Federal prison, with the possibility of release for good behavior in 700 years. Vixen gets therapy and Donner is placed in an asylum. The elves get jobs working for the postal service
, and Mrs. Claus
negotiates film rights
for the incident.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
. The darkly humorous Christmas song
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
is performed as a style parody of "Black Gold
Black Gold (song)
"Black Gold" is a 1993 single performed by the Minneapolis rock band Soul Asylum. It, along with the band's more famous hit "Runaway Train", helped bring their album, Grave Dancers Union to a multi-platinum level....
" by Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983.The band originally formed in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, with the original line-up consisting of Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner, Karl Mueller and Pat Morley. The latter was replaced by Grant Young in...
, with melodic references to "Mama I'm Comin' Home
Mama, I'm Coming Home
"Mama, I'm Coming Home" is the third song on the 1991 Ozzy Osbourne heavy metal album No More Tears. The song is about his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, whom he nicknames "Mama", and his return to her following his imminent retirement. The song was co-written by Lemmy Kilmister, frontman of...
" by Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and "I Believe in Father Christmas
I Believe in Father Christmas
"I Believe In Father Christmas" is a song by Greg Lake , with lyrics by Peter Sinfield.Although it is often categorised as a Christmas song this was not Lake's intention...
" by Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
. It is the twelfth and final track on the album Bad Hair Day
Bad Hair Day
Bad Hair Day is the 9th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1996. This album was the third studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on Bad Hair Day are built around parodies and pastiches pop and rock music of the mid 1990s, targeting alternative rock and hip-hop...
.
Track listing
The following tracks are on the promo single:- "The Night Santa Went Crazy" – 3:59
- "Christmas at Ground ZeroChristmas At Ground Zero"Christmas at Ground Zero" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is done in the style of The Ronettes' numerous 1960s-era Christmas carols, with bells and a saxophone section, and is one of Yankovic's darkest songs, alongside "The Night Santa Went Crazy" .The expression "ground zero" was...
" – 3:07
Synopsis
The song starts with Santa's elvesChristmas elf
A Christmas elf is a diminutive creature that lives with Santa Claus in the North Pole and acts as his helper. Christmas elves are often depicted as green or red clad with pointy ears, long noses, and pointy hats. Santa's elves are often to make the toys in Santa's workshop and take care of...
making Christmas presents for good, "Gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
" children. Suddenly, a drunken Santa bursts in with a rifle in his hand, and covered with ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
. He says, "Merry Christmas to all Now you're all gonna' die" then proceeds to destroy half of the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, bombing the workshop, murdering and holding elves hostage, and killing 7 of the 9 reindeer in various gruesome ways (Donner and Vixen were spared, although not without post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
). The National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
and FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
come to restore order, with the Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
broadcasting the incident and the ensuing battle between Santa and the government forces. Finally, Santa is arrested and locked up in a Federal prison, with the possibility of release for good behavior in 700 years. Vixen gets therapy and Donner is placed in an asylum. The elves get jobs working for the postal service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
, and Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus is the wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in North American Christmas tradition.While Santa Claus himself emerged from the 1820s from a number of traditions of European folklore, Mrs...
negotiates film rights
Film rights
Film rights are the rights under copyright law to make a derivative work—in this case, a film—derived from an item of intellectual property. Under U.S...
for the incident.
Alternate versions
- An "Extra Gory" version was made and released on the single for "Amish ParadiseAmish Paradise"Amish Paradise" is a 1996 single by parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the hip hop song "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio featuring L.V....
." It differs in that Santa is killed instead of imprisoned and the elves file for unemploymentUnemploymentUnemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, and does not mention the two surviving reindeer, Vixen and Donner. This version is the particularly favored version of Dr. DementoDr. DementoBarret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
, who regularly plays it on his Christmas shows. - Another version was written for the Touring with ScissorsRunning with Scissors (album)Running with Scissors is the 10th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 29, 1999. The album contains the hit single "The Saga Begins", a parody of Don McLean's song "American Pie".-Details:...
tour in 1999. It combines the two versions so that Santa is killed, but the elves still get postal jobs. It can be seen on the "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! concert video. - An unofficial mash-up exists titled "Black Gold Made Santa Go Crazy," which layers portions of the two songs atop each other to highlight the similarities.
See also
- List of singles by "Weird Al" Yankovic
- List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic
- Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa ClausYes, Virginia, there is a Santa ClausIs There a Santa Claus? was the title of an editorial appearing in the September 21, 1897, edition of The New York Sun. The editorial, which included the famous reply "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", has become an indelible part of popular Christmas folklore in the United States and...