Christmas in Hollis Lyrics

[Verse 1: Run]
It was December 24th on Hollis Ave after dark
When I seen a man chilling with his dog in the park
I approached him very slowly with my heart full of fear
Looked at his dog, oh my God, an ill reindeer
But then I was illin' 'cause the man had a beard
And a bag full of goodies, 12 o'clock had neared
So I turned my head a second and the man was gone
But he must've dropped his wallet smack dead on the lawn
I picked the wallet up, but then I took a pause
Took out the license and it cold said, "Santa Claus"
A million dollars in it, cold hundreds of G's
Enough to buy a boat and matching car with ease
But I'd never steal from Santa 'cause that ain't right
So I was going home to mail it back to him that night
But when I got home, I bugged 'cause under the tree
Was a letter from Santa and the dough was for me

[Verse 2: D.M.C.]
It's Christmastime in Hollis, Queens
Mom's cookin' chicken and collard greens
Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese
And Santa put gifts under Christmas trees
Decorate the house with lights at night
Snow's on the ground, snow white so bright
In the fireplace is the yule log
Beneath the mistletoe as we drink eggnog
The rhymes that you hear are the rhymes of Darryl's
But each and every year, we bust Christmas carols
[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 3: Run-D.M.C.]
Rhymes so loud and proud, you hear it
It's Christmastime and we got the spirit
Jack Frost chillin', the orchids out
And that's what Christmas is all about
The time is now, the place is here
And the whole wide world is filled with cheer

[Verse 4: D.M.C. & Run-D.M.C.]
My name's D.M.C. with the mic in my hand
And I'm chilling and coolin' just like a snowman
So open your eyes, lend us an ear
We wanna say, Merry Christmas and happy New Year

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About

Genius Annotation

MSNBC producer Willie Geist, a regular on Morning Joe, identified “Christmas in Hollis” as his favorite seasonal standard.

The song appeared in the 1988 film Die Hard but was not included on the Michael Kamen soundtrack album, though it was added as a bonus track on the 2011 reissue.

Hollis, Queens, NY is the home soil of Run-DMC.

The original 12" cover was designed by Keith Harring.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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