A Marshmallow World

"A Marshmallow World" (sometimes called "It's a Marshmallow World") is a popular song that was written in 1949 by Carl Sigman (lyrics) and Peter DeRose (music). It was published the following year by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. The song is about winter and is commonly regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere, although the lyrics make no mention of the holiday.

The song was first a hit for Bing Crosby (backed by the Lee Gordon Singers and Sonny Burke and his Orchestra). Crosby's version, recorded in 1950,^[1] peaked at No. 24 on Billboard's Best Selling Pop Singles chart in the issue dated January 6, 1951.^[2] Other artists who recorded the song in 1950 include Ray Anthony, Vic Damone, Johnny Desmond, Arthur Godfrey, Vaughn Monroe, and Jo Stafford.

The song compares a snowfall to marshmallows covering the ground. It also describes the snowfall as whipped cream and the sun as a red pumpkin head. The singer "waits for it the whole year 'round."

In media

The song was featured in the episode "Hal's Christmas Gift" of the American sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, during a scene involving a destructive vehicular encounter.^[3]^[4]

Later versions

Darlene Love (on the 1963 compilation album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector)
Johnny Mathis (on his 1963 album Sounds of Christmas)
Hugo Winterhalter (on his 1963 album A Season for My Beloved)
Brenda Lee (on her 1964 album Merry Christmas from Brenda Lee)
Dean Martin (on his 1966 album The Dean Martin Christmas Album)
The Bluebeats (on the 1996 compilation album Christma-Ska on Moon Ska Records)
Los Straitjackets (on their 2002 album 'Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets!)
Matt Dusk (on his 2004 album Peace on Earth)
The Cheetah Girls (on their 2005 album Cheetah-licious Christmas)
Math and Physics Club (on a 2005 digital download via their website)
Regis Philbin and Steve Tyrell (on the 2005 album The Regis Philbin Christmas Album)
Kim Stockwood (on her 2006 album I Love Santa)
Raul Malo (on his 2007 album Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites)
Jessica Martin and Mark Steyn (on a 2008 digital download)
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (on their 2009 album Every Light That Shines at Christmas)
Mandy Barnett (on her 2010 album Winter Wonderland)
Jessica Martin and Mark Steyn (on a 2010 digital download - 'Disco Fever Edition')
Emmy the Great and Tim Wheeler (on their 2011 album This Is Christmas)
Francesca Battistelli (on her 2012 album Christmas)
Juniper Jones (in a 2013 holiday commercial for Cooking Channel)
Nataly Dawn and Ryan Lerman (2014 single)
Seth MacFarlane (on his 2014 album Holiday for Swing)
Karen O (in a 2014 holiday commercial for Target stores)^[5]
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood (on their 2016 album Christmas Together)
The Regrettes (on a 2016 single)
She & Him (on their 2016 album Christmas Party)
Steam Powered Giraffe (on a 2016 single)
Kazumi Evans
The Lone Bellow (on the 2019 Dualtone Christmas compilation album A Dualtone Christmas)

References

^ "A Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 112. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
^ "Music and Songs from Malcolm in the Middle". malcolminthemiddle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
^ "Malcolm in the Middle Car Scene". youtube.com. 20 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
^ Rettig, James (November 11, 2014). "Hear Karen O Sing "Marshmallow World" In Target's New Christmas Ad". Stereogum. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

This pop standards-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This 1950s pop song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "A Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved September 19, 2016.

[2] Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 112. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.

[3] "Music and Songs from Malcolm in the Middle". malcolminthemiddle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2020.

[4] "Malcolm in the Middle Car Scene". youtube.com. 20 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 13 June 2020.

[5] Rettig, James (November 11, 2014). "Hear Karen O Sing "Marshmallow World" In Target's New Christmas Ad". Stereogum. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Bing Crosby singles
Discography
1920s	"My Blue Heaven" (with Paul Whiteman) "Ol' Man River" (with Paul Whiteman) "Mississippi Mud" (with Paul Whiteman) "Silent Night, Holy Night" (with Paul Whiteman) "Makin' Whoopee" (with Paul Whiteman) "Let's Do It" (with Dorsey Brothers) "Louise"
1930s	"Three Little Words" (with Duke Ellington) "I Surrender Dear" (with Gus Arnheim) "Just a Gigolo" "At Your Command" "Stardust" "Goodnight, Sweetheart" "Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)" (Bing's Theme Song) "Waltzing in a Dream" "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" "Temptation" "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" "June in January" "Love Is Just Around the Corner" "I Wished on the Moon" "It Ain't Necessarily So" "I Can't Escape from You" "Pennies from Heaven" "Silent Night" "Adeste Fideles" "Sweet Leilani" "Blue Hawaii" "Never in a Million Years" "Sail Along, Silv'ry Moon" "My Reverie" "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" "God Bless America" "Ciribiribin (They're So in Love)" (with Andrews Sisters)
1940s	"Tumbling Tumbleweeds" "Only Forever" "It's Always You" "New San Antonio Rose" (with Bob Crosby) "Dolores" "Deep in the Heart of Texas" (with Woody Herman) "Easter Parade" "White Christmas" "Moonlight Becomes You" "Sunday, Monday, or Always" "People Will Say We're in Love" (with Trudy Erwin) "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" (with Trudy Erwin) "Pistol Packin' Mama" (with Andrews Sisters) "I'll Be Home for Christmas" "Jingle Bells" (with Andrews Sisters) "Poinciana" "I Love You" "I'll Be Seeing You" "Swinging on a Star" "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" (with Andrews Sisters) "Hot Time in the Town of Berlin" (with Andrews Sisters) "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's an Irish Lullaby)" "Amor" "Long Ago (and Far Away)" "Don't Fence Me In" (with Andrews Sisters) "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" (with Andrews Sisters) "You Belong to My Heart" "Along the Navajo Trail (with Andrews Sisters) "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" "If I Loved You" "It's Been a Long, Long Time" (with Les Paul Trio) "I Can't Begin to Tell You" "Symphony" "The Bells of St. Mary's" "McNamara's Band" "Sioux City Sue" "South America, Take It Away" "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" (with Andrews Sisters) "Night and Day" "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (with Andrews Sisters) "Galway Bay "Ballerina" "Now Is the Hour" "But Beautiful" "Far Away Places" "Careless Hands" "Riders in the Sky" "Some Enchanted Evening" "Dear Hearts and Gentle People" "Mule Train"
1950s	"Quicksilver" (with Andrews Sisters) "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" (with Andrews Sisters) "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" "Play a Simple Melody" (with Gary Crosby) "Sam's Song " (with Gary Crosby) "La Vie en rose" "All My Love" "Beyond the Reef" "Harbor Lights" "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" "A Marshmallow World" "Sparrow in the Treetop" (with Andrews Sisters) "Gone Fishin'" (with Louis Armstrong) "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" (with Jane Wyman) "The Isle of Innisfree" "Zing a Little Zong" (with Jane Wyman) "Silver Bells" (with Carol Richards) "Down by the Riverside" (with Gary Crosby) "Young at Heart" "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" "Stranger in Paradise" "In a Little Spanish Town" (with Buddy Cole Trio) "True Love" (with Grace Kelly) "Now You Has Jazz" (with Louis Armstrong) "Well, Did You Evah!" (with Frank Sinatra)
1970s	"That's What Life Is All About"
1980s	"Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" (with David Bowie)