Run, Rudolph, Run

Lyrics: Marvin Brodie, Johnny Marks
Music: Marvin Brodie, Johnny Marks

Sung by Pigpen half a dozen times with the Grateful Dead in December 1971. The lyrics varied slightly from night to night - thanks to Gene Baran for help sorting them out.

Out of all the reindeers, you know you're the mastermind
Run, run, Rudolph, Randolph's not too far behind (note 1)

Chorus
Run, run, Rudolph, Santa's got to make it to town
Can't you make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down
And away went Rudolph whizzing like a merry-go-round

Said Santa to a boy, child what have you been longing for? (note 2)
He said all I want for Christmas is a rock 'n' roll electric guitar
And then away went Rudolph whizzing like a shooting star

Run, run, Rudolph, Santa's got to make it to town
Can't you make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down
Run, run, Rudolph spinning like a merry-go-round

Run, run, Rudolph, Santa's got to make it to town
Can't you make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down
And away went Rudolph spinning like a merry-go-round

Said Santa to a girl, child what would you like most to get?
A little baby doll that can cry, eat, sleep and wet (note 3)
And then away went Rudolph whizzing like a Sabre jet

Run, run, Rudolph, Santa's got to make it to town
Can't you make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down
And away went Rudolph whizzing like a merry-go-round

Run run, Rudolph, run run, Rudolph run
Run run, Rudolph, run run, Rudolph run
Can't you make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down

Run run, Rudolph, Santa's got to make it
Run run, Rudolph, Santa's got to make it
Run run, Rudolph, Santa's got to make it to town
Can't you make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down

Notes
(1) Pigpen sometimes sang "Santa's not too far behind". "Randolph" is what Chuck Berry sang - and makes more sense.
(2) Pigpen sometimes by mistake sang "Said Rudolph to a boy ...".
(3) the Chuck Berry lyrics were "cry, sleep, drink and wet".

Grateful Dead Recordings
	Date	Album
	7 Dec 1971	Dave's Picks Volume 22
	9 Dec 1971	Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73
	10 Dec 1971	Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73
	14 Dec 1971	Dave's Picks Volume 26

The song is played at the end of Episode 8 of Series 3 of the TV series "Lilyhammer". John Stevens tells me it came up as by the Grateful Dead on the subtitles - though other sources seem to have identified it as the Keith Richard version.

Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For details of every time played, see Grateful Sets