"Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" and its Lake Tahoe start

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - While it may not be the most famous Christmas carol ever sang, "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" has made its mark since it was written in 1978. Lake Tahoe played a part in giving the song its kickoff into music history.

It was a chance meeting at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe that thrust the song, written by musician Randy Brooks, into becoming a holiday staple. He played it for Dr. Elmo Shropshire was touring in a bluegrass duo with his wife Patsy with a stop at the Hyatt, and they fell in love with the quirky and "bizarre" song about grandma getting drunk on eggnog and getting runover by reindeer on her way home.

"I never dreamed of anybody recording it, I just wanted to get some laughs from drunks at the bar," Randy recently told the television show, Inside Edition.

Randy's own band dissuaded him from recording the record himself, instead, he gave the song to "Elmo 'n' Patsy" to record.

First played on San Francisco radio station KSFO in 1979. Shropshire played the song at that time, with Elmo 'n' Patsy recording a few years later. Randy was a partner and earned royalties on his song. The now-74-year-old Brooks still tours with the bands Young County and Bad Monkeys, mainly in the Dallas-Nashville areas, but they have done reunion shows in the Tahoe area.

It may not have been a drunk grandma that inspired the song, but perhaps the late comedian Foster Brooks, Randy's uncle. Randy says he came up with the idea for the song after observing his "tipsy relative" Foster Brooks, who was a famous comedian well known for his act as a drunk.

Since being played for Elmo 'n' Patsy at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe, the multi-million seller has spent many years as #1 on Billboard Magazine's holiday singles chart. "Grandma" earned Randy SESAC Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year honors, spawned an animated Christmas special, musical toys, ornaments, greeting cards, apparel, video games, a branded hot chocolate mix, a Tesla dashboard app, and inflatable yard abominations.

Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

Grandma got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from our house Christmas Eve
You can say there's no such thing as Santa
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe

[Verse 1]
She'd been drinkin' too much eggnog
And we'd begged her not to go
But she forgot her medication
And she staggered out the door into the snow
When we found her Christmas mornin'
At the scene of the attack
She had hoof prints on her forehead
And incriminating Claus marks on her back

[Chorus]
Grandma got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from our house Christmas Eve
You can say there's no such thing as Santa
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe

[Verse 2]
Now we're all so proud of Grandpa
He's been takin' this so well
See him in there watchin' football
Drinkin beer and playin' cards with cousin Mel
It's not Christmas without Grandma
All the family's dressed in black
And we just can't help but wonder:
Should we open up her gifts or send them back?
(Send them back!)