Bruce Springsteen started releasing music in the early ’70s, so you’d think that at some point between then and now, he would have recorded a Christmas album, as many artists do. That’s actually not the case, though, as Springsteen doesn’t have a single holiday collection to his name. During a new Tonight Show interview, he gave a rock-solid reason for why he hasn’t made one.
During his chat with Jimmy Fallon, Springsteen was asked if he has ever thought about recording a full holiday album, and he explained why, although he has had interest in the idea, it hasn’t happened yet:
“I’ve tried to… we did some big Christmas shows in Asbury Park for a while and I tried to piece together something from those shows, but I didn’t really have… we’d have to go in the studio. The thing is, you only want to do it around Christmas time, but you don’t want to do it then either, because it’s around Christmas time and you don’t feel like working. Then Christmas time goes away and you gotta do it in the summertime when you just don’t feel like it. So, we haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe one of these days.”
Springsteen has a few holiday songs he’s recorded in studio, though. For the 1987 compilation album A Very Special Christmas, he contributed a rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby.” He also released a cover of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” as a single in 1985.
Watch clips from Springsteen and Fallon’s chat above and below.