“Oh Santa!” was released as the lead single from Mariah's second Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You, on October 1, 2010. “‘Oh Santa!’ is a new song that I wrote with my friend Jermaine Dupri and also our friend Bryan Michael-Cox, who works with both of us, we sat in a room and I just came in with a basic idea for how I wanted the beat to be and I kinda knew I wanted it to be like writing a letter to Santa Claus,” Mariah said about the song. “It's hard when you've already written a Christmas ‘classic.’ It's weird for me to say it but it's true 'cause a lot of people have grown up with the song and feel really close to ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You.’ But ‘Oh Santa!’ is a different song, it's just got sort of a similar feeling but it's like a retro '60s type of feeling but still modern. We wanted to keep it really simple in terms of the music.”
“Oh Santa!” became Mariah's forty-third Hot 100 entry, peaking at number one-hundred during the week of January 1, 2011. It made its debut at number twelve on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Songs chart and reached the top spot the following week, marking the quickest ascent to the peak position in the chart's history.
A digital “Oh Santa!” remix EP was released on December 7, 2010, with remixes produced by the Jump Smokers and Low Sunday. A mashup of the song and Mariah's 1994 hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” produced by the Jump Smokers, became available on streaming platforms on December 21, 2010.
| Song | Remix | Run time |
|---|---|---|
| Oh Santa! | Jump Smokers Edit
Produced by Jump Smokers. |
3:53 |
| Oh Santa! | Jump Smokers Extended
Produced by Jump Smokers. |
4:08 |
| Oh Santa! | Jump Smokers Instrumental
Produced by Jump Smokers. |
4:08 |
| Oh Santa! | Low Sunday Club Mix
Produced by Low Sunday, Ron Haney. |
6:16 |
| Oh Santa! | Low Sunday Edit
Produced by Low Sunday, Ron Haney. |
4:09 |
| Oh Santa! | Low Sunday Instrumental
Produced by Low Sunday, Ron Haney. |
6:08 |
| Oh Santa! / All I Want for Christmas Is You |
Holiday Mashup
Produced by Jump Smokers. |
4:27 |
The music video for “Oh Santa!” was directed by Ethan Lader and filmed in Los Angeles on October 6, 2010. It made its debut on Access Hollywood a month later, on November 2, 2010.
Santa's gonna come and make him mine this Christmas
Santa's gonna come and make him mine, mine
Santa's gonna come and make him mine this Christmas
Santa's gonna come and make him mine, mine
Santa, if you get this letter won't you help me out
I know you're kinda busy with your elves right now
And I don't know how
You do the things you do while I sleep on Christmas Eve
But it's amazing
And I bet that you could bring me back my baby
Because every time I see Christmas lights
I feel this burn inside and I just can't take it
I saw them shopping last week
And his new girl was so bleak
And then I swore to myself
Santa's gonna come and make him mine this Christmas night
Ho, ho, ho
Santa's gonna come and make you mine this Christmas
Santa's gonna come and make you mine, ho, ho, ho
Santa's gonna come and make you mine this Christmas
Oh Santa, I heard that it's really gonna snow this year
So I hope Rudolph and them other eight reindeer
Get you safely here
So you can scoop him up and swoop him right down my chimney
I've been really, really, really good this year
So put on that red suit and make him appear
'Cause Christmas cheer just ain't the same without my baby
Come on, oh Kris Kringle, send me help
They say it's unrealistic
But I believe in you, Saint Nick
So grant this wish for me right quick
Santa won't you come and make him mine this Christmas night
Ho, ho, ho
Santa's gonna come and make you mine this Christmas
Santa's gonna come and make you mine, ho, ho, ho
Santa's gonna come and make you mine this Christmas
Oh Santa, oh Santa
Oh, oh, oh Santa
C'mon Santa
Santa's gonna come and make you mine this Christmas
Santa's gonna come and make you mine, mine
Santa's gonna come and make you mine, mine
Oh Santa Claus, if you get this letter please don't make me wait
'Cause all December I'll be counting down the days
So hop on your sleigh
I promise that I won't forget the milk and cookies
The trees are sparkly and gold
But inside I feel so cold
So soon as you leave the North Pole
Santa won't you come and make him mine this Christmas
Santa's gonna come and make you mine Ho, ho, ho
Santa's gonna come and make you mine this Christmas
Santa's gonna come and make you mine Ho, ho, ho
Santa's gonna come and make you mine, mine
Repeat
Written by Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox.
Produced by Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox.
