The song Santa Claus is Coming to Town was written in 1934 by Haven Gillespie (lyrics) and John Frederick Coots (music). It became one of the biggest Christmas hits of all time, being recorded by numerous artists over the years. The inspiration for the song came as Coots and Gillespie were on a subway train in New York City in November 1933, and Gillespie, inspired by the upcoming Christmas holiday, scribbled the lyrics on a piece of paper. Coots ... See more [+] found a melody for the words quickly, but it took about a year for the song to be finally published.