Studio Album · No. 6
Merry Christmas ... Have a Nice Life Songwriting Credits by Cyndi Lauper
Produced by Cyndi Lauper, Jan Pulsford, Junior Vasquez, William Wittman
Holds writing credit on 7 of 11 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 11 documented
Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Cyndi Lauper carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life is a holiday album that mixes Cyndi Lauper originals with traditional carols. Seven of the eleven tracks are her own compositions, including "Home on Christmas Day," "Early Christmas Morning," and "Christmas Conga," while the rest are covers such as "Silent Night" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." The album reflects Lauper's quirky, personal take on the Christmas record format.
Cyndi Lauper's sixth studio album, released November 3, 1998, a holiday album co-produced with Jan Pulsford, Junior Vasquez, and William Wittman. Six of the eleven tracks are original Lauper compositions ("Home on Christmas Day," co-written with Rob Hyman and William Wittman; "Early Christmas Morning," a reworked Sisters of Avalon Japan bonus; "Christmas Conga," "Minnie and Santa," "New Year's Baby," and "December Child"), alongside a re-recording of "Feels Like Christmas" from Hat Full of Stars. The five remaining tracks are holiday standards including "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Three Ships," "In the Bleak Midwinter," and "Silent Night," all arranged to suit Lauper's intimate, wry production style. The album represents a collaborative peak with her Pulsford/Wittman writing team. It has remained a seasonal catalog staple and was reissued with updated artwork in 2018.
Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Home on Christmas Day
|
Rob HymanCyndi LauperWilliam Wittman | Rob HymanCynthia Ann Stephanie LauperWilliam Wittman | Cyndi LauperWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |
| 2 |
Early Christmas Morning
|
Cyndi LauperJan Pulsford | Cynthia Ann Stephanie LauperJan Pulsford | Cyndi LauperJan PulsfordMark Saunders | Cyndi Lauper |
| 3 |
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
|
Johnny Marks | Johnny Marks | Cyndi LauperWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |
| 4 |
Christmas Conga
|
Cyndi LauperJan Pulsford | Cynthia Ann Stephanie LauperJan Pulsford | Cyndi LauperJan PulsfordWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |
| 5 |
Minnie and Santa
|
Cyndi LauperJan Pulsford | Cynthia Ann Stephanie LauperJan Pulsford | Cyndi LauperJan PulsfordWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |
| 6 |
Feels Like Christmas
|
Eric BazilianRob HymanCyndi Lauper | Eric BazilianRob HymanCynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper | Cyndi LauperJunior Vasquez | Cyndi Lauper |
| 7 |
Three Ships
|
Traditional | Traditional | Cyndi LauperJan PulsfordWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |
| 8 |
New Year's Baby (First Lullaby)
|
Cyndi Lauper | Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper | Cyndi LauperJan PulsfordWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |
| 9 |
December Child
|
Cyndi LauperJan Pulsford | Cynthia Ann Stephanie LauperJan Pulsford | Cyndi LauperJan PulsfordWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |
| 10 |
In the Bleak Midwinter
|
Christina Rossetti | Gustav Holst | Cyndi LauperJan PulsfordWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |
| 11 |
Silent Night
|
Josef Mohr | Franz Gruber | Cyndi LauperJan PulsfordWilliam Wittman | Cyndi Lauper |