Roseanne Barr Almost Debuted ‘The Chanukah Song’ on ‘SNL’ Instead of Adam Sandler

When Adam Sandler first came up with the concept for “The Chanukah Song,” the idea that he would be the person to sing the tune on Saturday Night Live wasn’t set in stone. Believe it or not, Roseanne Barr almost brought the song to life instead.

Barr, who is also Jewish, was an option for a few different reasons. Firstly, because of her controversial rendition of the U.S. National Anthem at a San Diego Padres game back in 1990.

Barr was also super hot at the time thanks to her hit sitcom, Roseanne. Her singing abilities were less than stellar, too, making her a great choice to sing a silly song on a sketch comedy show.

Sandler addressed the decision in an interview with Access Hollywood. “They were talking about Roseanne singing it… she was nice enough to say ‘No, let Adam do that, that’s his, he wrote it, that’s his song.'”

“I’m happy to be a part of Hanukkah. That was a good time of life to be associated with the song and the holiday. Very proud of that,” Sandler continued. “I sing it alone. I sing it without the kids. I’ll go into our basement and I rip it out. I’ll do the soft shoe to it. No, if it comes on the radio, and I hear it, I get excited. That’s still awesome.”

Adam Sandler Stills Plays ‘The Chanukah Song’ Regularly

Since it first aired in 1994, Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song” has made its way into his stand-up performances. Sandler became known for his ability to fuze music and humor together. This even earned him the lead role in the 1998 film The Wedding Singer.

In 2002, Sandler gave animated comedy a shot with Eight Crazy Nights. This Chanukah-themed film prominently featured his iconic song, making SNL fans happy. It was the second time – the first being Sandler’s 1999 album Stan and Judy’s Kid – that the song’s lyrics were updated to reflect modern pop culture references.

Another update to the song came in 2015. This showcased Sandler’s commitment to keeping the song relevant by always adding new celebrities and events. Other artists who cover the song have even followed suit. They’ll also swap out those outdated references for those that resonate with today’s events.

But let’s be honest. That original “The Chanukah Song” that Adam Sandler played in 1994 will never be beaten.