"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a song based on the story of the same name, created by Robert L. May in 1939 as part of his employment with Montgomery Ward. It tells the tale of Rudolph, Santa's ninth and lead reindeer, who possesses an unusually red-colored nose that gives off its own light (bioluminescence), powerful enough to illuminate the team's path through inclement winter weather.