<P> Regney wrote the lyrics for the song, while Shayne composed the music in October 1962 . This was an unusual arrangement for the two writers . Usually it was Shayne who wrote the lyrics for their songs while Regney composed the music, as they did when they wrote a song based on the classic children's song "Rain Rain Go Away". </P> <P> Regney was inspired to write the lyrics "Said the night wind to the little lamb,' Do you see what I see?"' and "Pray for peace, people everywhere" after watching babies being pushed in strollers on the sidewalks of New York City . Shayne stated in an interview years later that neither could personally perform the entire song at the time they wrote it because of the emotions surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis . "Our little song broke us up . You must realize there was a threat of nuclear war at the time ." </P> <P> "Do You Hear What I Hear?" was released shortly after Thanksgiving in 1962 . The song was originally recorded for Mercury Records by the Harry Simeone Chorale, a group which had also popularized "The Little Drummer Boy"; and it was released as part of the album "The Wonderful Songs Of Christmas With The Harry Simeone Chorale". As a 45 rpm single, it went on to sell more than a quarter - million copies during the 1962 Christmas holiday season . </P> <P> Bing Crosby made the song into a hit when he recorded his own version of it on October 21, 1963, with the record being released as a single on October 26 . Crosby also performed the song on a Bob Hope Christmas television special on December 13 of that year . Over the years, Crosby's recording of the song has been widely played on the radio, and has been available on numerous compilation Christmas albums and compact discs put out by Capitol Records . </P>

Who sang the original version of do you hear what i hear