Dwight Yoakam’s Honky Tonk Christma(When Santa traded his sleigh for a dusty pickup truck)
It’s not the usual Christmas image: no snow, no sleigh, no jingling bells — just a worn-out pickup truck rolling down a Kentucky backroad, with Dwight Yoakam’s voice echoing through the night. Yet that’s exactly the world painted in his version of “Santa Claus Is Back in Town.”
Originally recorded by Elvis Presley in 1957, the song was pure blues — slow, sultry, and dripping with heartbreak. But when Dwight Yoakam included it on his Come On Christmas album in 1997, he turned it into a honky-tonk celebration: twangy guitars, pounding drums, and a southern Santa wearing boots instead of black leather.
Christmas Music, Country Style
Elvis’s version told of a lonely Santa with a hint of sadness. Dwight flipped the script. He kept the swagger, added a kick of honky-tonk rhythm, and filled it with the same restless energy that defines his music.
When the Telecaster starts roaring and Dwight belts out “Got no sleigh with reindeer, no sack on my back…”, you can almost see Santa pulling up to a roadside bar instead of a chimney. It’s joyful, reckless, and unmistakably American.
A Tribute to the King
Yoakam has always admitted his debt to Elvis: “Without Elvis, I probably wouldn’t have worn tight jeans or picked up a guitar.” Covering this song was his way of tipping his hat to the man who bridged rock and country long before him.
Rather than modernize Christmas, Dwight localized it — turning the holiday into something that feels southern, raw, and real. It’s the sound of laughter echoing in a barroom, of friends gathered around, and of a musician who never forgot where he came from.
The Coolest Christmas Album
When Come On Christmas dropped in 1997, critics praised it as one of the most original Christmas albums ever. “Santa Claus Is Back in Town” became its signature — not for nostalgia, but for authenticity. Dwight Yoakam gave Christmas a heartbeat — one that swings to the rhythm of freedom, youth, and that ever-burning honky tonk spirit.