"Here Comes Peter Cottontail" is a popular secular

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

song composed in 1949 by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins. They also wrote "

Frosty the Snowman "Frosty the Snowman" is a song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950 and later recorded by Jimmy Durante in that year. It was written after the success of Autry's ...

" in 1950. Mervin Shiner was the first person to record the song, on

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in 1950. It reached #8 on

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. The name " Peter Cottontail" was used by a character in a 1914 Thornton Burgess book, but may not have been previously used to refer to the

Easter Bunny The Easter Bunny (also called the Easter Rabbit or Easter Hare) is a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter, depicted as a rabbit—sometimes dressed with clothes—bringing Easter eggs. Originating among German Lutherans, the "Easter Hare" origi ...

. Due to the immense popularity of

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's Christmas songs "

Here Comes Santa Claus "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" is a popular Christmas song originally performed by Gene Autry, with music composed by Autry, Oakley Haldeman and Harriet Melka. Autry's original recording (in which he pronounces Santa Clau ...

" and " Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", Nelson and Rollins asked Autry to record their song. His 1950 version was on the Columbia label and peaked at number 3 on the U.S ''Billboard''

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chart and at number 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Nelson and Rollins also wrote non-Easter lyrics to the tune that later appeared on the

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

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''Peter Cottontail Plus Other Funny Bunnies and their Friends''.

Chart performance

Gene Autry

Jimmy Wakely

Johnnie Lee Wills

References

1950 singles Easter songs Songs about rabbits and hares Gene Autry songs Jimmy Wakely songs Johnnie Lee Wills songs Songs written by Walter E. "Jack" Rollins 1949 songs Songs written by Steve Nelson (songwriter) {{1940s-song-stub