"A Marshmallow World" (sometimes called "It's a Marshmallow World") is a popular song that was written in 1949 by

Carl Sigman Carl Sigman (September 24, 1909 – September 26, 2000) was an American songwriter. Early life Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish-American family, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his bar exams to practice in ...

(lyrics) and

Peter DeRose Peter DeRose (or De Rose) (March 10, 1896 – April 23, 1953) was an American composer of jazz and pop music during the era of Tin Pan Alley. Biography A native of New York City, he showed a gift for all things musical at an early age. He lea ...

(music). It was published the following year by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. The song is about winter and is commonly regarded as a

Christmas song Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...

in the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

, although the lyrics make no mention of the holiday. The song was first a hit for

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

(backed by the Lee Gordon Singers and

Sonny Burke Joseph Francis "Sonny" Burke (March 22, 1914 – May 31, 1980) was an American musical arranger, composer, Big Band leader and producer. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University, where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke ...

and his Orchestra). Crosby's version, recorded in 1950, peaked at No. 24 on ''Billboard'' Best Selling Pop Singles chart in the issue dated January 6, 1951. Other artists who recorded the song in 1950 include

Ray Anthony Raymond Antonini (born January 20, 1922), known as Ray Anthony, is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor. He is the last surviving member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Biography Anthony was born to an Italian family in Ben ...

Vic Damone Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit " You're Breaking My Heart", an ...

Johnny Desmond Johnny Desmond (born Giovanni Alfredo De Simone; November 14, 1919 – September 6, 1985) was an American singer who was popular in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early years Desmond was born Giovanni de Simone in Detroit, Michigan, ...

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname The Old Redhead. At the peak of his success, in the early-to-mid 1950s, Godf ...

, and

Vaughn Monroe Vaughn Wilton Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) was an American baritone singer, trumpeter, big band leader, actor, and businessman, who was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for rec ...

. The song compares a snowfall to

marshmallow Marshmallow (, ) is a type of confectionery that is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or normally molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. The sugar c ...

s covering the ground. It also describes the snowfall as

whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, and ...

and the sun as a red

pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...

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 ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series follows a dysfunctional ...

'', during a scene involving a destructive vehicular encounter.

Later versions

Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known professionally as Darlene Love, is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist. She began singing as a child with her ...

(on the 1963 compilation album ''

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector ''A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector'' (originally released as ''A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records'') is an LP album, album of Christmas songs, produced by Phil Spector, and originally released as Philles Records, Philles 4005 ...

'') *

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

(on his 1963 album '' Sounds of Christmas'') *

Hugo Winterhalter Hugo Winterhalter (August 15, 1909 – September 17, 1973) was an American easy listening arranger and composer, best known for his arrangements and recordings for RCA Victor. Biography Hugo Ferdinand Winterhalter was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsy ...

(on his 1963 album ''A Season for My Beloved'') *

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...

(on her 1964 album ''Merry Christmas from Brenda Lee'') *

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

(on his 1966 album ''

The Dean Martin Christmas Album __NOTOC__ ''The Dean Martin Christmas Album'' is a 1966 studio album by Dean Martin arranged by Ernie Freeman and Bill Justis. Release This was Martin's only album of Christmas music released on Reprise Records (his only other Christmas album, ...

'') * The Bluebeats (on the 1996 compilation album ''Christma-Ska'' on

Moon Ska Records Moon Ska Records was one of the most influential ska record labels of the 1980s and 1990s. The label operated from 1983 until 2000, and during those seventeen years, only released ska and ska-influenced music. Originally named ''Moon Records'', as ...

) *

Los Straitjackets Los Straitjackets is an American instrumental rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, in 1988. Originally comprising guitarists Danny Amis (formerly of the Raybeats), Eddie Angel and drummer L. J. "Jimmy" Lester under the na ...

(on their 2002 album '' 'Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets!'') *

Matt Dusk Matthew-Aaron Dusk (born November 19, 1978) is a Canadian jazz vocalist. He has four certified gold albums: ''Two Shots'', '' Good News'', ''Old School Yule!'' and ''JetSetJazz'', and two certified platinum albums; ''My Funny Valentine: The Chet ...

(on his 2004 album '' Peace on Earth'') *

The Cheetah Girls The Cheetah Girls may refer to: * The Cheetah Girls (franchise), a series of young adult novels by Deborah Gregory and the spin-offs made from the novels, including a film series ** ''The Cheetah Girls'' (film), a 2003 Disney Channel Original Movie ...

(on their 2005 album ''

Cheetah-licious Christmas ''Cheetah-licious Christmas'' is a Christmas album by the Cheetah Girls. It is also the first album the girls released as an official musical group; however, group member Adrienne Bailon later stated that the album does not serve as their offi ...

'') *

Math and Physics Club Math and Physics Club are an American indie pop band based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Its members are Charles Bert (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Ethan Jones (bass, keyboards). James Werle played lead guitar until he died in 2018. Kevi ...

(on a 2005 digital download via their website) *

Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...

and

Steve Tyrell ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

(on the 2005 album ''The Regis Philbin Christmas Album'') *

Kim Stockwood Kim Stockwood (born 11 November 1965) is a Canadian pop musician, singer and composer originally from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. She has recorded as a solo artist and also as a member of Atlantic Canadian music group Shaye with Damh ...

(on her 2006 album ''I Love Santa'') *

Raul Malo Raúl Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr. (born August 7, 1965, in Miami, Florida), known professionally as Raúl Malo, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He is the lead singer of country music band The Mavericks and the ...

(on his 2007 album ''Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites'') *

Jessica Martin Jessica Cecelia Anna Maria Martin (born 25 August 1962) is an English actress, singer, and impressionist whose career has diversified to include comic writing and illustrating. Her television roles have included ''Spitting Image'', '' Copy Cats ...

and

Mark Steyn Mark Steyn (; born December 8, 1959) is a Canadian author and a radio and television presenter. He has written several books, including ''The New York Times'' bestsellers '' America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It'', ''After America: G ...

(on a 2008 digital download) *

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Ernie Haase & Signature Sound is an American Southern Gospel quartet founded in 2002 by Ernie Haase, former Cathedral Quartet tenor and Garry Jones, former Gold City pianist. As of November 2021, the group consists of Dustin Doyle (lead/bariton ...

(on their 2009 album ''Every Light That Shines at Christmas'') *

Mandy Barnett Amanda Carol Barnett (born September 28, 1975) is an American country music singer and stage actress. Early life and music career Barnett has been singing since she was a child, performing at churches, local venues, as well as at Dollywood. In ...

(on her 2010 album ''Winter Wonderland'') *

and

(on a 2010 digital download - 'Disco Fever Edition') *

Emmy the Great Emma-Lee Moss (born 4 November 1983), known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is an English singer-songwriter. She has released four studio albums, ''First Love (Emmy the Great album), First Love'', Virtue (Emmy the Great album), ''Virtue'', ...

and

Tim Wheeler Timothy James Arthur Wheeler (born 4 January 1977) is a Northern Irish singer, songwriter, and musician for the alternative rock band Ash. He has written nearly all of Ash's notable works, such as " Oh Yeah", " Shining Light", " Girl from Mars ...

(on their 2011 album ''This Is Christmas'') *

Francesca Battistelli Francesca Battistelli (born May 18, 1985) is an American Christian singer and songwriter. She was originally an independent artist and had released an independent album, ''Just a Breath'', in 2004. Her first studio album on Fervent Records, '' M ...

(on her 2012 album ''

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

'') * Juniper Jones (in a 2013 holiday commercial for

Cooking Channel Cooking Channel is an American basic cable channel owned by Food Network, a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (69%) and Nexstar Media Group (31%). The channel is a spin-off of Food Network, broadcasting p ...

) *

Nataly Dawn Natalie Dawn Knutsen Conte (born October 29, 1986), known by her stage name Nataly Dawn, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is one half of the duo Pomplamoose with her husband Jack Conte and has released four studio albums and f ...

and Ryan Lerman (2014 single) *

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...

(on his 2014 album ''

Holiday for Swing ''Holiday for Swing'' is the second studio album and first Christmas album by American actor and singer Seth MacFarlane, released by Republic Records on September 30, 2014. It is available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download. The album is a c ...

'') *

Karen O Karen Lee Orzolek (born November 22, 1978) is a South Korean-born American singer, musician, and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Early life She was born in Seoul, South Korea, the daughter of a Ko ...

(in a 2014 holiday commercial for

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

stores) *

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

and

Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American singer, actress, author and television personality. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single " She's in Love with the Boy," which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard'' c ...

(on their 2016 album '' Christmas Together'') *

The Regrettes The Regrettes is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles. The band is led by frontwoman Lydia Night. They released three studio albums on Warner Bros. Records: '' Feel Your Feelings Fool!'' (2017), '' How Do You Love?'' (2019), and '' Furt ...

(on a 2016 single) *

She & Him She & Him is an American musical duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, ukulele) and M. Ward (guitar, production) formed in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.Scaggs, Austin"Smoking Section: Modest Mouse, Zooey Deschanel, Kings of Leon"''Rolli ...

(on their 2016 album '' Christmas Party'') *

Steam Powered Giraffe Steam Powered Giraffe is an American musical project formed in San Diego in 2008, self-described as "a musical act that combines robot pantomime, puppetry, ballet, comedy, projections, and music". Created and led by twins David Michael Bennett an ...

(on a 2016 single) *

Kazumi Evans Kazumi Evans (born September 14, 1989) is a Canadian actress. She began her career as a contestant on the CBC's '' Triple Sensation''. As a voice actress, she has voiced Saffi on ''Bob the Builder'', Madeline on '' The Deep'', and Skipper in the ...

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(on the 2019

Dualtone Dualtone Records is an American record label specializing in folk, Americana, and indie rock. It was founded in 2001 by Scott Robinson and Dan Herrington. The company is run by Robinson and the label's president, Paul Roper. Albums are distribute ...

Christmas compilation album ''A Dualtone Christmas''

References

1949 songs American songs Pop standards American Christmas songs Bing Crosby songs Brenda Lee songs Darlene Love songs Songs about weather Song recordings produced by Phil Spector Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements Dean Martin songs Johnny Mathis songs Songs written by Carl Sigman Songs with music by Peter DeRose {{1950s-pop-song-stub