The holiday track "Winter Wonderland" functions a snowman named Parson Brown. Is he based upon a genuine person? Let's investigate!




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The Quick and Dirty when "Winter Wonderland" was written in the 1930s, "parson" to be a term because that Protestant or Anglican ministers. They would often travel from town to city performing wedding ceremonies for those who did not have a local minister the their very own faith. "Parson Brown" doesn't it seems to be ~ to describe any far-ranging historical figure from the time period and is more likely a fictitious name.


Updated December 7, 2020The various other day, if humming “Winter Wonderland,” these 2 lines began to make me wonder:Who to be Parson Brown?In the meadow, we can build a snowmanAnd pretend that he is Parson Brown


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"Winter Wonderland" was written in 1934 by composer Felix Bernard and also lyricist Richard Bernhard "Dick" Smith. Back it's winter-themed, in the north Hemisphere we have tendency to treat it together a beloved vacation song.And here's an amazing fact—"Winter Wonderland" to be penned through a man in quarantine. Follow to his widow, penis Smith was inspired to compose the lyrics as he gazed the end at children playing in the eye from the home window of West mountain Sanitarium in Scranton, Pennsylvania, whereby he was a recovering tuberculosis patient. When Smith rallied and also was maybe to leave the hospital, he reverted to new York and also collaborated with his composer friend, Felix Bernard, to develop the famous song we know today.

Was "Parson Brown" a genuine person?

Was "Parson Brown" who of cultural significance at the time the tune was written? At first glance, and also looking at the lyrics that follow, it appears as if "Parson Brown" would be a minister:He’ll say, ‘Are girlfriend married?’We’ll say, ‘No, man!But you can do the job as soon as you’re in town.'During the time once the tune was written, parsons (a term because that Protestant or Anglican ministers) would take trip from city to town performing wedding ceremonies because that those that did not have actually a local minister of their very own faith.But is there any kind of significance to “Parson Brown”? It appears it could either have actually been a details parson the couple knew who pertained to their town or a placeholder title similar to “John Doe.” As much as I deserve to tell, there to be no famed Parson Brown in the 1900s.As a next note, have actually you noticed the there room two versions of the leg in “Winter Wonderland”? A 1953 variation replaces “Parson Brown” with “circus clown”:In the meadow, we can develop a snowmanAnd pretend the he’s a circus clownWe'll have lots that fun v Mister SnowmanUntil the various other kiddies knock that downThis lyric adjust was apparently made to do the song an ext child-friendly. Wikipedia additionally suggests the the change occurred due to the fact that traveling parsons were no longer part of the American social scene.