Paul McCartney joins Jimmy Fallon, the Roots, and special guests to sing, redeem 'Wonderful Christmastime'

Paul McCartney joins Jimmy Fallon and friends to sing "Wonderful Christmastime"
(Image credit: The Tonight Show)

Let's say you think that, of all the Christmas songs by former members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" ranks not just below John Lennon's "Merry Xmas (War Is Over)" but also George Harrison's "Ding Dong, Ding Dong," McCartney's reggae cover of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," and maybe even Ringo Starr's "I Wanna Be Santa Claus" — all defensible opinions except for the last one. McCartney, the Roots, and Jimmy Fallon redeemed Sir Paul's buoyant 1979 Christmas classic on Tuesday's Tonight Show.

It's an a cappella version, and Fallon and Co. are joined by a somewhat random collection of celebrities, some known for their singing (Scarlett Johansson, Seth MacFarlane) and others, not so much (Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon), plus Tori Kelly. They do a fine job, with the Roots and the cast of Sing providing a rock-solid musical backbone. Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter Weber

Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.