It's one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time. Heck, it's even called "The Christmas Song!"But it was originally just a way for songwriter Bob Wells to cool off on a hot summer day.
In 1944, his frequent collaborator Mel Torme spotted a notebook lying open on Wells' piano. Written in it were the phrases "chestnuts roasting," Jack Frost nipping," "Yuletide carols," and "folks dressed up like Eskimoes."
When Torme asked Wells about the scribbles, he said he had been trying to keep cool by thinking cool and immersing himself in as much Christmas imagery as he could think of.
Torme thought this sounded like a fun game, and the two friends sat at the piano and turned Wells' scribbles into one of the world's most recognizable Christmas carols in just 45 minutes.