Why the Christmas Song 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' is Bobby Tall Horse's Favorite

My favorite Christmas song is Santa Claus is coming to town, not because it's the best Christmas song, or the prettiest Christmas song, but because it is the most meaningful Christmas song.

I cannot listen to Santa Claus is coming to Town without a flood of childhood memories. The memories that that Christmas song brings back involve my Dad, his guitar, 2 ponies, Christmas Eve and Santa.

When I was young, my sister and I each had a pony. We lived on a small farm 6 miles from a small town. My Dad loved horses and when he gave us these two ponies, well, I guess we thought he'd hung the moon.

My sister's pony was all white and his name was Popcorn. My pony was brown and white and his name was Peanut. There wasn't an inch of our timber that Peanut and I didn't explore.

My dad had acquired a buggy and a sleigh, they were wonderful, but we wondered who would pull them? We didn't know just how talented those 2 ponies and Dad were. He taught them to pull the buggy.

Now Santa Claus always came to our little town on Christmas Eve. All the farm kids and town kids would wait in the square for him to show up in the back of a pickup and give out Christmas candy.

The December after we got the ponies, Dad said he couldn't drive in with us, but he would be there later. I was saddened that he would miss a family Christmas tradition.

I was waiting in the square for Santa Claus to come to town and all of a sudden, up the hill, came 2 ponies. Yep, Popcorn and my Peanut were pulling the sleigh. And Dad was sitting in it driving. And there sat Santa Claus next to Dad. All the while, the Christmas song Santa Claus is Coming to Town was playing over the speaker.

Dad had fastened Christmas bells to the pony harness and they rang out as Santa Claus and Dad came riding through town. I was SO proud. The kids thought it was great that my Dad knew Santa Claus and that he had brought him to town for them.

After we got home, Dad would always get out his guitar. And I believe his favorite Christmas song must have been Santa Claus is Coming to Town! We all sang and those times are burned in my memory now.

Dad has been gone for 10 years now; the ponies too have gone "home". And I wear gray hair. But every year when the Christmas song, Santa Claus is Coming to Town plays, I sing, I cry and I smile.

Every year, when that Christmas song, Santa Claus is coming to Town plays, I get the best Christmas gift ever. I get to be a kid waiting in town for Santa Claus, Dad and the ponies.