By April Neale Dec 13, 2013, 6:01 GMT

Tracy Newman is one of founding members of the Groundlings, and she wrote for huge hit TV shows and still quit it all to go back to her music roots.

LA native Tracy Newman is a award-winning singer/songwriter and a former TV writer. She has been a staff writer on Cheers, The Nanny, Hiller & Diller, Ellen and Drew Carey. In 1997, she won the Emmy and the prestigious Peabody Award for co-writing the “coming out” episode of Ellen.

Now her touching song, “Mama I Know You Ain’t Santa” is getting strong responses— Dolly Parton cried upon hearing it and the LA Times named her song, Mama I Know You Ain’t Santa one of the saddest Christmas songs

The Christmas season is a time of high emotions. Family reunions — sometimes happy, sometimes tense. Gift-giving — that suffocating turtleneck you have to wear all day to please your sweet, clueless grandmother. Bells, holly… the dreaded mistletoe. And the annual sound track for all this turmoil? Tons and Tons of Christmas songs — usually jolly, but Tracy Newman’s “Mama I Know You Ain’t Santa” is an ode to the single mamas out there who are doing it all by themselves.

LA Times’ Randy Lewis named Mama, I know You Ain’t Santa as one of “The Saddest Christmas Songs Ever” among legendary songs such as Judy Garland’s, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Merle Haggard’s If We Make It Through December and other classics.

High praise for Tracy’s song:

“It is one of the best songs I have heard in years… especially a Christmas song. I cried!” –Dolly Parton

“This song tells me Tracy loves her Mama like I love my Mama… and that’s a lot!!!! A very moving and NEW Christmas tune straight from the heart.” –Carl Jackson, Grammy Award-winning American country and bluegrass musician

“The incredible understanding of a child, who knows the loving responsibility of a go at it alone Mother. Who provides the true essence of the gift we were all given, Love. I love this song… –Marty Raybon, Grammy Award-winning artist and producer

In 2001 she co-created the ABC comedy, “According to Jim” which ran for eight seasons.

Tracy has been a songwriter throughout her TV career and has released two CDs, “A Place in the Sun” and her latest CD “I Just See You.” The music is essentially acoustic folk.

Both CDs are available on Available on iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby.

Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements. – See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf

Tracy is also a founding member of the very successful Los Angeles improvisation group, The Groundlings (https://www.groundlings.com/).

Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements. – See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf
Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements. – See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf
Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements. – See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf
Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements. – See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf

Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements.

MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA

MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA SANTA DON’T HAVE A FIGURE LIKE YOU AND HIS EYES AREN’T RED FROM CRYIN’ AND HE DON’T STAND JUST UNDER FIVE-TWO

MAMA, THAT PILLOW IS SLIPPIN’ AND YOUR PRETTY BLOND HAIR IS SHOWING THROUGH AND AIN’T THAT THE NECKLACE I MADE YOU? AND I BET SANTA DON’T HAVE THE FLU

THERE’S A CLEAR CHRISTMAS SKY IN ATLANTA MILLIONS OF STARS BRIGHT AS CAN BE MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA I’VE SEEN HIM UP CLOSE; I’VE SAT ON HIS KNEE

BUT BILLY DON’T KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA HOW COULD HE, HE’S ONLY TWO BILLY DON’T REMEMBER DADDY BUT, MAMA, YOU AND I DO

WELL, THANKS FOR THE SKIRT YOU MADE OVER AND THANKS FOR DYING IT RED AND BILLY SURE LOVES THAT PUPPY WE’LL NEVER GET HIM TO BED

THERE’S A CLEAR CHRISTMAS SKY IN ATLANTA MILLIONS OF STARS TWINKLING BRIGHT MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA BUT I PROMISE I’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS NIGHT

NOW, LET ME PLAY SANTA FOR BILLY YOU GO UPSTAIRS AND TAKE A REST ‘CAUSE YOU MAKE ONE LOUSY SANTA BUT AS A MAMA FOR BILLY AND ME — YOU ARE THE BEST

Lynne Stewart/Tracy Newman BMI

– See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf

Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements.

MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA

MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA SANTA DON’T HAVE A FIGURE LIKE YOU AND HIS EYES AREN’T RED FROM CRYIN’ AND HE DON’T STAND JUST UNDER FIVE-TWO

MAMA, THAT PILLOW IS SLIPPIN’ AND YOUR PRETTY BLOND HAIR IS SHOWING THROUGH AND AIN’T THAT THE NECKLACE I MADE YOU? AND I BET SANTA DON’T HAVE THE FLU

THERE’S A CLEAR CHRISTMAS SKY IN ATLANTA MILLIONS OF STARS BRIGHT AS CAN BE MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA I’VE SEEN HIM UP CLOSE; I’VE SAT ON HIS KNEE

BUT BILLY DON’T KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA HOW COULD HE, HE’S ONLY TWO BILLY DON’T REMEMBER DADDY BUT, MAMA, YOU AND I DO

WELL, THANKS FOR THE SKIRT YOU MADE OVER AND THANKS FOR DYING IT RED AND BILLY SURE LOVES THAT PUPPY WE’LL NEVER GET HIM TO BED

THERE’S A CLEAR CHRISTMAS SKY IN ATLANTA MILLIONS OF STARS TWINKLING BRIGHT MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA BUT I PROMISE I’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS NIGHT

NOW, LET ME PLAY SANTA FOR BILLY YOU GO UPSTAIRS AND TAKE A REST ‘CAUSE YOU MAKE ONE LOUSY SANTA BUT AS A MAMA FOR BILLY AND ME — YOU ARE THE BEST

Lynne Stewart/Tracy Newman BMI

– See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf

Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements.

MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA

MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA SANTA DON’T HAVE A FIGURE LIKE YOU AND HIS EYES AREN’T RED FROM CRYIN’ AND HE DON’T STAND JUST UNDER FIVE-TWO

MAMA, THAT PILLOW IS SLIPPIN’ AND YOUR PRETTY BLOND HAIR IS SHOWING THROUGH AND AIN’T THAT THE NECKLACE I MADE YOU? AND I BET SANTA DON’T HAVE THE FLU

THERE’S A CLEAR CHRISTMAS SKY IN ATLANTA MILLIONS OF STARS BRIGHT AS CAN BE MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA I’VE SEEN HIM UP CLOSE; I’VE SAT ON HIS KNEE

BUT BILLY DON’T KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA HOW COULD HE, HE’S ONLY TWO BILLY DON’T REMEMBER DADDY BUT, MAMA, YOU AND I DO

WELL, THANKS FOR THE SKIRT YOU MADE OVER AND THANKS FOR DYING IT RED AND BILLY SURE LOVES THAT PUPPY WE’LL NEVER GET HIM TO BED

THERE’S A CLEAR CHRISTMAS SKY IN ATLANTA MILLIONS OF STARS TWINKLING BRIGHT MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA BUT I PROMISE I’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS NIGHT

NOW, LET ME PLAY SANTA FOR BILLY YOU GO UPSTAIRS AND TAKE A REST ‘CAUSE YOU MAKE ONE LOUSY SANTA BUT AS A MAMA FOR BILLY AND ME — YOU ARE THE BEST

Lynne Stewart/Tracy Newman BMI

– See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf

Tracy writes, “I wrote this with my friend Lynne Stewart. A young girl’s love letter to her mother on Christmas. Sung by Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements.

MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA

MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA SANTA DON’T HAVE A FIGURE LIKE YOU AND HIS EYES AREN’T RED FROM CRYIN’ AND HE DON’T STAND JUST UNDER FIVE-TWO

MAMA, THAT PILLOW IS SLIPPIN’ AND YOUR PRETTY BLOND HAIR IS SHOWING THROUGH AND AIN’T THAT THE NECKLACE I MADE YOU? AND I BET SANTA DON’T HAVE THE FLU

THERE’S A CLEAR CHRISTMAS SKY IN ATLANTA MILLIONS OF STARS BRIGHT AS CAN BE MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA I’VE SEEN HIM UP CLOSE; I’VE SAT ON HIS KNEE

BUT BILLY DON’T KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA HOW COULD HE, HE’S ONLY TWO BILLY DON’T REMEMBER DADDY BUT, MAMA, YOU AND I DO

WELL, THANKS FOR THE SKIRT YOU MADE OVER AND THANKS FOR DYING IT RED AND BILLY SURE LOVES THAT PUPPY WE’LL NEVER GET HIM TO BED

THERE’S A CLEAR CHRISTMAS SKY IN ATLANTA MILLIONS OF STARS TWINKLING BRIGHT MAMA, I KNOW YOU AIN’T SANTA BUT I PROMISE I’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS NIGHT

NOW, LET ME PLAY SANTA FOR BILLY YOU GO UPSTAIRS AND TAKE A REST ‘CAUSE YOU MAKE ONE LOUSY SANTA BUT AS A MAMA FOR BILLY AND ME — YOU ARE THE BEST

Lynne Stewart/Tracy Newman BMI

– See more at: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1719497.php/Former-TV-scribe-Tracy-Newman-s-Christmas-Song-made-Dolly-Parton-cry-LISTEN#sthash.oUbICteq.dpuf