Linus and Lucy

This article is about the jazz standard. For the characters referenced by the title, see Linus van Pelt and Lucy van Pelt.
"Linus and Lucy"
Song by Vince Guaraldi Trio from the album A Charlie Brown Christmas
Released December 1965
Genre Jazz, christmas music
Length 3:06
Label Fantasy
Writer Vince Guaraldi

"Linus and Lucy" is a popular jazz piano composition written by Vince Guaraldi, appearing in many of the Peanuts animated television specials. Named for the fictional siblings Linus and Lucy van Pelt, it was released in 1964 on the Vince Guaraldi Trio's album Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown. A Charlie Brown Christmas introduced the song to a television audience of millions of children beginning in 1965.[1] Since that special, the song has introduced most of the Peanuts TV specials, with the exceptions of the specials and other TV programs produced between 1979 and 1992. It is one of the most recognizable pieces by Vince Guaraldi, and has gained status as the de facto theme song of the Peanuts franchise.

The song was played to the crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour as wake-up music on Day 2 of the STS-123 mission on March 11, 2008. It has been used as background music for The Weather Channel's local forecasts since 1999,[2] and in advertisements for insurance firm MetLife; MetLife has used Snoopy and other Peanuts characters in its TV and print advertising since the mid-1980s.

This song is also often played on radio stations in the United States that go to a Christmas music format during the holidays; its appearance on the soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas has solidified "Linus and Lucy" as a holiday favorite.

The song is originally in the key of A-flat major.

Other versions

References

  1. ↑ The Christmas classic that almost wasn't
  2. ↑ The Weather Channel Local Forecast Music Play List Holiday Season 1999