On This Day: Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” Anthem Turns 50! [VIDEO]

On this day (December 9) in 1970, Donny Hathaway released what became one of the most iconic holiday songs we’ve come to know and love: “This Christmas.”

To celebrate 50 years of Hathaway’s classic, Rhino Records premiered his first ever official music video which is an animated special drawn by cartoonist Lonnie Milsap. Check out the heart-warming visual and sing along with the lyrics noted below!

Donny Hathaway – “This Christmas” Lyrics

Hang all the mistletoe
I’m gonna get to know you better
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it’s gonna be together
This Christmas

Fireside is blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me

Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer and you
This Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town they do
This Christmas

Fireside is blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me, yeah

Shake a hand, shake a hand now

Emm, fireside is blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me, yeah

Hang all the mistletoe
I’m gonna get to know you better
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it’s gonna be together
This Christmas

Fireside is blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me

Merry Christmas
Shake a hand, shake a hand now
Wish your brother merry Christmas
All over the land, yeah
Merry Christmas
Merry, merry Christmas