Songfacts®:

• Seattle singer Michael "Wanz" Wansley was a full-time software test engineer for companies such as Microsoft, Adapx, and Volt until he was asked to provide guest vocals on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' international hit single "Thrift Shop." This is the closing track from Wanz's debut solo EP, Wander.
• Wanz told Artist Direct the story behind the song in an January 2014 interview: "'The Greatest Gift,' was written and recorded in two days last year," he recalled. "Success with 'Thrift Shop' hadn't hit monetarily and touring monies kept me afloat, but there was no extra to buy Christmas gifts."
  
  " I would watch commercial after commercial of folks buying things, see them in line at the stores and listen to their conversations about what to give someone...feeling 'less than' during the whole process," he continued. "But figured that if I could put the 'Christmas Spirit' into song, that would be a great gift."
  
  "It took about an hour for me to come up with chords and a melody," Wanz added. "When I started putting the beat together is when I realized I was creating my own present. One that I could give to everyone and anyone! The time I was putting into this song was my gift!!! And since time is the only thing none of us can replace, I wanted to convey that we all do the best we can with the time we have and that helping someone, listening to someone, being there for someone is the greatest feeling and the greatest gift we can give to each other. Hence the title, 'The Greatest Gift.'"