who wrote grandma got run over by a reindeer

“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” was written by Randy Brooks, an American singer‑songwriter who composed it as a humorous novelty Christmas song in the late 1970s.

Basic facts

• Writer: Randy Brooks.

• First popular recording: Elmo & Patsy (Elmo Shropshire and Patsy Trigg) in 1979.

• Song type: Comic/novelty Christmas song about a grandmother who supposedly gets run over by Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve.

Quick background

• Brooks wrote the song after joking about a darkly comic way a grandma might die at Christmas, then turned the idea into a novelty tune.

• Elmo & Patsy self‑released it in San Francisco, and over a few years it grew into a nationally known holiday song, often dividing listeners between finding it hilarious or annoying.

Pop culture impact

• The song has become a recurring seasonal staple on radio and streaming playlists, especially in the U.S., despite (or because of) its morbid humor.

• It inspired a 2000 animated TV special titled “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” which expands the story into a full plot about Grandma’s disappearance and Santa being blamed.

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