Buck Owens and the Buckaroos' "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy" belongs on the same playlists as Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and other Christmas songs by country music legends.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Owens and longtime bandmate Don Rich wrote the Bakersfield-flavored tale of a kid's Christmas Eve confusion. Thematically, it's the country Christmas equivalent of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (though that one's as country as they come when it's sung by Dolly Parton).
It debuted on the 1965 album Christmas With Buck Owens and His Buckaroos and remained in Owens' repertoire for years to come, as established by the above performance with Dwight Yoakam.
The leader of the Buckaroos' musical offspring have covered it over the years, with notable versions appearing on the holiday albums of Travis Tritt, Garth Brooks and Brad Paisley.
Read More: Country Rewind: Alan Jackson Writes His Christmas List in 'I Only Want You for Christmas'
Owens' first holiday album also introduced fans to "Christmas Time's a' Comin'," a Red Simpson co-write that's different from the bluegrass standard of the same title. A second holiday collection, Christmas Shopping, arrived in 1968 and was highlighted by Owens and Jimmy Snyder co-write "All I Want For Christmas is My Daddy," which is every bit the gut-punch as its title implies.
Omnivore Recordings' recent CD reissue of A Merry Hee Haw Christmas compiles both of Owens' Christmas albums from the '60s with a pair of Toys for Tots jingles.
"Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy" Lyrics (published by Sony/ATV Music)
Well, Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
It's not the way I had him pictured
Santa was much too thin
He didn't come down the chimney
So mama must have let him in
Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
Well, they thought I was fast a sleepin'
They thought that I was tucked in bed
They never thought I'd come a peepin'
Or that I'd hear what was said
Santa put his arm around mama
And mama put her arm around him
So if Santa Claus ain't daddy
Then I'm a gonna tell on them
Well, Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
It's not the way I had him pictured
Santa was much too thin
He didn't come down the chimney
So mama must have let him in
Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
I never saw Dancer or Prancer
I never heard the sleigh bells ring
I never saw the red nosed reindeer
Like they show on the TV screen
But he sure brought a lot of presents
So Santa Claus he must have been
And he sure looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him, well
Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
It's not the way I had him pictured
Santa was much too thin
He didn't come down the chimney
So mama must have let him in
Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
Well, Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
It's not the way I had him pictured
Santa was much too thin
He didn't come down the chimney
So mama must have let him in
Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
Well, Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
Now Watch: The Best Country Christmas Songs Recorded Before 1985
https://rumble.com/embed/u7gve.v49g2f/
