Each month, Jason Fortner spotlights one or more musical theatre composers and/or lyricists, offering his own unique perspective on the songwriting legends of musical theatre. Send your comments/questions on this column to happgood@aol.com.

It's that time of year again, and I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Christmas Comedy Songs, a genre that has grown enormous is the past decades, often eclipsing the actual number of serious tunes created for the season.

So here's my list, in no preferential order:

"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" written by Donald Yetter Gardner in 1944 and introduced by Spike Jones and his City Slickers in 1948. This is one of the first, great comedy songs about the holidays. Once you've heard it you can never forget George Rock's whistle filled vocal as the kid with the missing teeth. Classic fun.

Jo Ann Castle and Jack Imel perform "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" on the 1967 Christmas episode of THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW. Includes intro by Mr. Welk and an ad for Serutan Laxative Powder!

Another classic is "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" sung by 13-year old Jimmy Boyd in 1952. Another great tune, which got its' own spoof entitled "I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus" which Dr Demento included on his CRAZY CHRISTMAS CD. (See end of article for lyrics.)

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is featured in these 2000 holiday TV ads (one featuring boys, the other girls) for The Gap.

"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" written by John Rox and performed by Gayla Peevey (10 years old at the time) in 1953. It seems common for small kids to want a strange thing for Christmas for at least one year. Why not want a hippopotamus and even sing about it?

"(I'm Gettin') Nuttin' For Christmas" by Art Mooney and Barry Gordon, who was seven years old when he sang the song in 1955. No kid wants this fate, but it could happen if you did enough bad things, I guess.

"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1958. Thanks to the variable speeds of audio tape, Ross Bagdarsarian Sr got a lot of mileage out of Alvin, Simon & Theodore, and their new movie is testament to their enduring popularity. Me? I want a Hula Hoop!

"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" from the original 1960s ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS TV show.

The gifted and always clever Tom Lehrer wrote a parody of Christmas carols purporting to show the true spirit of Christmas - the commercial spirit - in "A Christmas Carol". He joyously skewers the American preoccupation with commercial crassness while creating a tuneful classic.

For those that loved the "Monster Mash", it had a musical cousin in "Monster's Holiday" recorded by Bobby "Boris" Pickett, written by Paul Harrison, and released in December 1962. These pop parody 45's were big hits in their day, and those with a nostalgia for the era will enjoy the over the top vocals and gimmicks of this genre.

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" was originally created for the 1966 cartoon special How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The lyrics were written by Dr. Seuss, the music was by Broadway's Albert Hague, and the lyrics were performed by one of my favorite basses of all time, Thurl Ravenscroft. Many different versions have been recorded since but Thurl's is still the best.

Aimee Mann & Grant-Lee Phillips perform "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" live at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on November 30, 2007.

"Snoopy's Christmas" was performed by The Royal Guardsmen in 1967; a follow-up to their earlier song "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" recorded in 1966. Again, these tunes were enormously popular in their time, when AM radio was the driving force of the airwaves.

The ubiquitous "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy came out in 1979, and Christmas songs have never been the same. Silly and stupid, it has a tune that gets in your head and never, ever leaves. But as for me and Grandpa, we believe!

The original video for "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" that ran on MTV for more than 18 years.

There have been numerous "Twelve Days of Christmas" parodies, including one by Bob and Doug McKenzie (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) which came out in 1982. The humor derives from listening to these two suggesting typical "lazy guy" presents. They finally figure out that the first day should have more lyrics, so a beer ends up in a tree. Then the back up singers get so tired of them that they insist on going to day 12 after day 8. Very fun tune from the SCTV guys.

Another version of 12 Days is "Twelve Days of Christmas" by Allan Sherman. Sherman lovingly offers up items like "a Japanese transistor radio" in this consumer driven spoof of the season of giving. It's especially funny when the backup singers simply sing "and all that other stuff" or simply skip to the first day's gift. Sherman was the king of parody in his time, and this song stands among the best of them.

A country carol is heard in "Leroy the Redneck Reindeer" by Joe Diffie. Diffie sings about a time when Rudolph was sick, so he calls in his redneck cousin Leroy. Of course, Leroy is a country hick, but is able to lead Santa's sleigh in his own cornfed way. This tune is a descendant of "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer", but tells it's own folksy tale.

Joe Diffie in "Leroy The Redneck Reindeer"

Another silly tune is "Grandma's Killer Fruitcake" by Dr. Elmo. Dr. Elmo sings about one of those holiday traditions that nobody seem to want - the fruitcake. This one happens to be from his Grandma, of course. It is heavy and tough and he certainly comes up with some really creative ways to explain it.

Other crazy tunes include "I Tan't Wait Till Quithmuth Day" voiced by cartoon voice master Mel Blanc, "Green Christmas" another slam at American consumer culture, this time by radio's Stan Freberg, and "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas" a Scandinavian twist on the holidays voiced by Yogi Yorgesson. And who can forget the Jingle Cats meowing Christmas tunes?

The Holiday market is so big that almost everyone has released a holiday tune. Even Cheech and Chong got into the act with "Santa Claus and His Old Lady" recorded in 1971. Another example of a novelty Christmas song is "Damn it, I'm Vixen" performed by Brian Beathard, in 1997. In 2007, The Killers released "Don't Shoot Me Santa" a song which benefited various AIDS charities.

Christmas novelty songs can involve gallows humor and even morbid humor like that found in "Christmas at Ground Zero" and "The Night Santa Went Crazy", both by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Radio personality Bob Rivers has parlayed the format into several albums in the TWISTED CHRISTMAS line.

Animated version of Weird Al Yankovic "The Night Santa Went Crazy." (Contains mature subject matter. Parential discretion advised)

The number of Christmas novelty songs is so immense that radio host Dr. Demento devotes an entire month of weekly two-hour episodes to the format each year, and the novelty songs receive frequent requests at radio stations across the country.

But for me, my favorite is one that I mentioned above, voiced by comic Kip Addotta. We'll close this month with this silly twist on Christmas cheer. Until the New Year, I hope your holidays are happy!

I saw Daddy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last night.
He didn't see me creep down the stairs to have a peep.
He thought that I was tucked up in my bedroom fast asleep.

Then I saw Daddy tickle Santa Claus
underneath his beard so snowy white.
There must be some mistake.
Was I really awake?
I rubbed my eyes and moved in close, a better look to take.

Then, I saw Daddy hugging Santa Claus.
He took his hand and pulled him to the couch.
It must have been just fine.
Santa didn't seem to mind.
Then Daddy moved across the room to pour them both some wine.

Then, I saw Daddy fondle Santa Claus,
And on his ear he nibbled now and then.
I crawled across the floor.
I hid behind the door.
I left it open just a crack so I could watch some more.

Then I saw Daddy undress Santa Claus.
They quickly threw their clothes on our big chair.
Well, much to my surprise,
I couldn't believe my eyes!
It wasn't Santa after all but Mommy in disguise,

But I saw Daddy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last night.
Oh what I laugh it would have been,
If I had really seen,
Daddy kissing Santa Claus last night!