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Tom Petty put his stamp on his Christmas song within the first few seconds of the tune starting. The man who once forgot the words to one of his hit songs gave fans memorable lyrics for the holiday season with “Christmas All Over Again.” Petty also gave keen-eared listeners an easter egg with the help of one of his longtime collaborators.

Tom Petty performs during the 'A Very Special Christmas' TV special in 2000. Petty hid an easter egg on his holiday song 'Christmas All Over Again' with help from a friend.
Tom Petty | KMazur/WireImage

Tom Petty recorded ‘Christmas All Over Again’ for a benefit album

After a snare drum roll opens the song, Petty’s crystal clear guitar and distinctive voice join “Christmas All Over Again” within the first 20 seconds of the song. Petty and the Heartbreakers recorded the tune for the 1992 album A Very Special Christmas 2. 

Petty’s tune had the honor of kicking off the album. On a record that includes Frank Sinatra’s duet with Cyndi Lauper (“Santa Claus is Coming to Town”), Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector covering the classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and several superstar artists of the day, that’s a big privilege.

Record industry executive Jimmy Iovine created the A Very Special Christmas idea to help him overcome a sad situation, but the records had a silver lining. The proceeds benefited Special Olympics, meaning Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recorded a classic Christmas song and also helped contribute to a good cause. As a bonus, Petty also gave listeners an easter egg on the holiday album with Jeff Lynne’s help.

The easter egg hiding in Petty’s Christmas song

Petty covers the holiday highlights on “Christmas All Over Again:” Admiring decorations, reconnecting with family, and pulling the one you love underneath the mistletoe. 

The song slows down at the end, and that’s where the hidden easter egg comes in. Petty describes his Christmas wish list: Rickenbacker guitar, Fender basses, Chuck Berry songbook, and a xylophone. 

After Petty lists the Chuck Berry songbook, keen-eared listeners can hear someone say, “I’ll have one of them.” It’s Lynne dropping in from the production booth, asking Santa to bring two Chuck Berry songbooks. 

According to AllMusic, Lynne was a jack of all trades on A Very Special Christmas 2. He produced the album, played bass, bells, and timbales, and provided background vocals. His barely-audible “I’ll have one of them” is an easter egg hiding in Petty’s classic Christmas song. 

Jeff Lynne and Petty worked together frequently

Lynne providing the easter egg on Petty’s Christmas song in 1992 wasn’t the first or last time they collaborated. 

The Beatles freak Petty and Lynne strapped on guitars for George Harrison’s supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys. The Electric Light Orchestra frontman also produced several Petty albums and best-ofs: Full Moon Fever (1989), Greatest Hits (1993), Playback (1995), Anthology (2000), and Highway Companion (2006). Lynne earned composer credits on Petty classics such as “Free Fallin,’” “Yer So Bad,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” “Into the Great Wide Open,” and “Learning to Fly.”

Lynne earned a composer credit on the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers live album A Wheel in the Ditch. The record came out shortly before Petty’s October 2017 death.

Tom Petty’s holiday classic “Christmas All Over Again” has an easter egg at the end, and his longtime collaborator Jeff Lynne put it there.

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