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December 24, 2025 9 mins
Being in the studio is a moment fans of music should one day experience. Amazing things happen. Although the journey is set. Often times the path begins to change. Having a gut feeling becomes louder than the original idea. Tommy DeCarlo listened to the invisible nudge. Creating a Christmas moment that'll reach families worldwide.

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's arrow.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
When I heard radio, I'd love to share a letter
with you. Hi, Ero, Happy holidays. I wanted to share
with you a Christmas cover song my dad recently recorded,
called Christmas Hat. It's actually a cover song of Christmas
Shoes by the group New Song. However, my dad made
a few clever lyrical changes in memory of his father,
my grandfather, who passed away. While my dad was on

(00:22):
tour with the group Boston this past summer.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
It was almost Christmas time. They're a student and.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
I remember several years ago my mom gave me a
CD and on the CD was Christmas Shoes.

Speaker 1 (00:40):
I played it.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
There was a bunch of other Christmas songs on there,
and I played it and I said, what a beautiful song,
you know, just the message was great. And when I
heard it, it was shortly after Thanksgiving, I thought, you know,
my mom was going through a hard time we work
as my dad passed away while we were on the tour.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
So I says, let me record that.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
For my mother. She she'd she'd she'd like that, you know,
a nice cover song, and she she always liked that song.
So about a day before I was about to go
in and track it, I thought, you know what, I
wonder if I could just tweak the lyrics a little bit,
and instead of it being for a little boy buying

(01:23):
his mom a pair of Christmas shoes, I'll say, I'm
gonna buy a Christmas hat for my dad.

Speaker 4 (01:30):
Mommy's this is not much time. You see, he's been sick.

Speaker 5 (01:36):
For quid and I know this hat will be come smile.

Speaker 6 (01:43):
Wanted to look kats, it's ten, it's geus.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
I just jogged some lyrics around in my head and
I wrote them.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Down, and then I went in.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
In the studio and I recorded all my vocals for that.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
And you know, it's funny because when I played it
for my mom, you know, she was very touched by it.
And I remember after it, you know, she's tears in
her eyes and gave me a hug, and she says, man,
I says, yeah, I said, well, I says, you should
have been the one trying to sing it.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
That was a challenge.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
You know, you throw some lyrics together and you know
you're talking about your dad.

Speaker 6 (02:23):
Many too bad this Christmas head.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
I thought that would be a nice way to touch
people who have maybe have lost their dad.

Speaker 6 (02:36):
And I'll never forget to live on his face. He said,
Daddy's gonna look so good.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
I really just sat there and I thought, I'm about
to record this cover song Christmas shoes, beautiful song.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
HM, let me throw a twist on it. And I did,
and I.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
Think it came out really nice and a lot of
people really really into aoid. And you know, if I
believe my my dad is smiling down, he's happy to
hear that.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Was it a moment right when you were in the
studio where.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
You felt the change? Yeah, it was, I mean it was.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
It was just a few minutes before I went into
to record vocals for that. I I just sat there
and I was, I was, you know, listening to the
song and I was actually going over the lyrics of
the song, which are beautiful, and you know, I just
it just hit me and I says, I know what
I can do. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna
flip flop it. It's going to be about a little

(03:34):
boy buying a hat for his dad.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
Who's who's dying.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
And then in the in the original song was about
a mom who was who's dying.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
What Christmas is all the b.

Speaker 6 (03:46):
Sir, I want to buy this or my daddy, please,
it's Christmas eve.

Speaker 4 (03:56):
This hot is justice.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
A very nice way to pay tribute to my father.
You know, I think it was especially nice for anybody
else out there who may have lost their dad too,
to listen to that. You know, being thrown in a
little creativity is what you know is a is a
nice thing. It's a nice resource to have. So I'm
glad I was able to come up with that idea.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
It Dad geees. I wanted to look onso if Dad
needs jeezus.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
On iHeartRadio, that's the group de Carlo with Christmas Hat.
Listen to the entire interview with Tommy DeCarlo, unplugged and
totally uncut on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
It was almost Christmas time. Here I stood in.

Speaker 6 (05:12):
Another line, trying to buy that last gift to two,
not really in the Christmas mood.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Standing right in front of me, he was a.

Speaker 6 (05:26):
Little boy, waiting anxiously, looking around at this and there.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
And in his hand he held a brand.

Speaker 6 (05:36):
New head, and his clothes were worn and old. He
was dirty from head to to old. When it came
as trying to pay, I couldn't believe what I heard
him say, sir, I want to buy his hand for

(05:59):
my daddy. Please.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
It's Christmas Eve.

Speaker 6 (06:05):
In this hand is just his time?

Speaker 4 (06:10):
Could you hermy?

Speaker 5 (06:12):
Sir?

Speaker 4 (06:13):
Mommy says, is not much time. You see, he's been
sick for quiet while.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
Nor this side will be.

Speaker 6 (06:24):
Con smiled honor to the cancer if tady me its
gesus tonight. He counted fair his forward seemed like he
is cashier, said son, that's not enough. He searched his

(06:48):
pockets fatically. Then he turned and he looked at me
and says, Taddy made Christmas good in our house. Togetherness
is what it's all, od't We couldn't ask.

Speaker 4 (07:03):
For more than that.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
Some harmny to buy this Christmas hand?

Speaker 6 (07:12):
Solve me the money down.

Speaker 1 (07:15):
I just had to help him out.

Speaker 6 (07:19):
And I'll never forget to look on his face. We said,
Daddy's gonna look so good, Sir, I want to buy
this pad for my caddy. Please, it's Christmas Eve.

Speaker 1 (07:38):
In this head, it's just his dyn could you hur surfer.

Speaker 5 (07:47):
Mommy says, it's not much time. You see, he's been
safe for quiet. A word who be had for make him?

Speaker 6 (07:58):
Smell him to the canceled. We've each Jesus to know.
I knew my cord of Blue to have its known
with baby Agan out, I.

Speaker 5 (08:17):
Know it can its head or you by.

Speaker 6 (08:24):
What Christmas is on about, sir?

Speaker 1 (08:30):
I want to buy this hell.

Speaker 4 (08:34):
Or my daddy. Please.

Speaker 5 (08:37):
It's Christmas Eve and the hardiest Joses.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
Could you hurt me soon?

Speaker 5 (08:48):
Mommy says it's not a bluch time.

Speaker 1 (08:51):
He sees he's been sack for quiet a.

Speaker 6 (08:55):
While and I know this had will be and spiering.
I wanted to look canceled. You've Chady means Jesus to go.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
I wanted to look canceled.

Speaker 6 (09:15):
If Dady meets Geeus

Speaker 1 (09:23):
To
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