Happy Christmas Weekend and Happy Hanukkah to everyone! This week's video: Dominic the Donkey!
There are many Christmas novelty songs on the radio – there's one station that started playing nothing but holiday music back in mid-November and I'd be ready to scream if I worked here. I hear “Dominic” a few times this time a year, as I think it's pretty popular in the New York and Boston radio stations.
I have a big soft spot for Dominic because there's a big cemetery near my home, and Lou Monte is buried there. Monte co-wrote and sang Dominic, and it amazes me that a song from 1960 is still played every year on the radio, in a music industry that Mr. Monte is a little bit different from when he first wrote it. Dominic the Donkey will SIT IN YOUR BRAIN for a YEAR or MORE, but it makes me smile to think that one novelty song has lasted more than fifty years and still makes people smile.
This morning I learned from Hannah Poynter via Twitter that in the UK, there's a campaign from The Chris Moyles Show on BBC1 to get Dominic to #1 in the UK on Christmas. There's even a #dominicthedonkey hashtag. GO DOMINIC GO!
So I hope your holiday season is beautiful and warm, and that the smiles and silliness you bring to others lasts as long as Dominic the Donkey. Happy holidays, everyone! EEE HAW EEE HAW!
I have NEVER heard this song before but I’ll be hearing it in my head for weeks now, no doubt! 🙂
OMG,I had forgotten this song ever existed! You’d think the crap I took growing up on of the few Italians in a decidely northern europeancentric suburb you can only imagine the play on the name. Thankfully, it did not linger in my school mates memories for more than that one season.
I just heard this on the radio while I was out shopping for the last of the whatnot! 🙂
I’ve never heard this before. Wow. Either it doesn’t get air play in Chicago or I just missed it.
When I was in 7th grade my class sang this for our Christmas sing-a-long. 32 hee haws were really out of tune, but it was so much fun. That’s what happens when the majority of the kids in your class are Italian Catholic lol.
I still listen to it every year. Last year, we taught it to my 7 year old cousin, who asked us to play it for him a couple of weeks ago.
Ok, fifty-five seconds was about all of that I could take. I love Christmas but please…I work in Retail and since Thanksgiving we’ve had nothing but Christmas songs playing on our intercom system. If I hear “What will Santa Claus Say When He Finds Everybody Swinging/” again I will scream!! Our store is in a predominately Hispanic area and we are stuck with 30’s. 40’s and 50’s music!
I see your donkey and raise you a hippo. I’ve heard this song every year since I can remember, the little girl who sang this grew up nearby. I think she’s still alive too.
Both Dominick the donkey & Hippo song are popular in Philadelphia PA area
I’ve never heard of Dominic, but I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is a favorite every year in Kansas.
Frosty the Snowman was written in my hometown so I understand about having a fondness for the odd songs.
Someday I’ll get what I really want for Christmas: the head of Dominick the Christmas Donkey. While so many holiday songs get overplayed, this one is, for some reason, especially grating to me.
And if you want non-overplayed holiday songs, I recommend “What’s This?” from THE NIGHTMORE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and “I Want an Alien for Christmas” by the Fountains of Wayne.
that one isn’t played in NYC to my knowledge. I heard it for the first time 2 years ago when i was living in Boston.
Grew up in Texas and never heard this before. Any of y’all know Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer?
I heard this on the cable Christmas music channel last week. Wasn’t familiar with it before this year!
Not a fan of the Dominic song, at all. The Hippo Song is the best animal related Christmas song.
I’ve never heard this before in my life!