George Coleman was a percussionist and spacey philosopher / one-man Sun Ra Arkestra beloved by generations of Texans for his constant presence at high-traffic tourist areas — Galveston’s Seawall, Houston’s Market Square, and later the San Antonio’s Riverwalk.

To those of us who grew up on the Gulf Coast, the song absolutely needs no introduction or explanation. It simply embodies who we are and Christmases and families as we know them, in my case, right down to mystery relatives from the Valley.