"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a Christmas song with music and lyrics by British songwriter Tommie Connor and first recorded by American singer Jimmy Boyd in 1952. The song has since been covered by many artists, with the Ronettes's 1963 and the Jackson 5's 1970 versions being the most famous.
Jimmy Boyd original version
The original recording by Jimmy Boyd, recorded on 15 July 1952, when he was 13 years old, However, the Archdiocese has no records of any ban, and no contemporaneous records or photographs can be found of a meeting between Boyd and any officials, leading the story to appear as a myth or an urban legend.
Cover versions
A slightly less successful version of the song (#7 on the US Charts) was released in 1952 by Spike Jones (with vocal by George Rock in the little boy voice used in Spike's hit "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"). Jones also recorded a parody for his personal pleasure titled "I Saw Mommy Screwing Santa Claus."
A recording by 13-year-old Molly Bee appeared on the US Country charts in 1952.
Versions by the Beverley Sisters and by Billy Cotton and His Band charted on the UK Singles Chart in December 1953, peaking at, respectively, No. 6 and No. 11.
In 1962, The Four Seasons released a version of the song on their Christmas album The 4 Seasons Greetings. This version differs from the others as it features the distinct falsetto of Frankie Valli.
The Ronettes recorded their own version in 1963 for A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. This version both debuted and peaked at No. 84 on Billboard Holiday 100 chart on the week ending 10 December 2016.
The Jackson 5 recorded the song for their 1970 Christmas album. The version entered the UK Singles Chart at its peak position, No. 91, on the week ending 5 December 1987, and charting for four weeks total. It also peaked at No. 30 on Billboard Holiday 100 chart on the week ending 2 December 2023, at No. 43 on Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week ending 6 January 2024, and at No. 100 on a Swiss singles chart on the week ending 29 December 2019.
John Cougar Mellencamp recorded the song in 1987 that was included on the first A Very Special Christmas compilation album, which benefits the Special Olympics.
Film adaptation
A made-for-television movie based on the song was released in 2001.
Charts
Jimmy Boyd version
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center; width:60%"
|+Weekly chart performance for "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Boyd
! scope="col"| Chart (1953)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
|}
Billy Cotton and His Band version
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center; width:60%"
|+Weekly chart performance for "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Billy Cotton and His Band
! scope="col"| Chart (1953)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
|}
Beverley Sisters version
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center; width:60%"
|+Weekly chart performance for "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Beverley Sisters
! scope="col"| Chart (1953)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
|}
The Jackson 5 version
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by the Jackson 5
! scope="col"| Chart (2009–2026)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia (ARIA)
| 97
|-
! scope="row"| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)
| 45
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Global 200 (Billboard)
| 65
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Japan (Japan Hot 100)
| style="text-align:center;"| 22
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100
| 43
|-
! scope="row"| US Holiday 100 (Billboard)
| 30
|}
Monthly charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+
! scope="col"| Chart (2025)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Estonia Airplay (TopHit)
| 52
|-
|}
Certifications
The Ronettes version
The Jackson 5 version
References
External links
- Lyrics to I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus