The classic holiday tune "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" was first written and released in the 1940s. Since then there have been countless renditions and parodies.

Now a University of Victoria student has put a decidedly unique spin on the classic.

"All I want for Christmas is my three front teeth, my three front teeth," belted out Taylor Fawcett in a recording posted to Facebook.

As an opera singer, the tune is not a challenge for Fawcett, but without his three front teeth there is a definite lisp.

Fawcett fainted and fell while waiting for a bus in downtown Victoria in July. He woke up to discover he had knocked out three teeth and broken his nose.

He had to take the year off school and go home to Edmonton, partly to pay the bills, and also because for his Master's degree he was supposed to present a recital.

"Getting this all fixed involves a bit of recovery time. Recovery time in and around you mouth and stuff is not ideal to be presenting a recital," said Fawcett.

Fawcett was coping as best he could, then he started hearing Christmas carols on the radio, and when he heard the lyrics of one song, it was like they were written for him, especially the beginning.

Everybody stops and stares at me

These two teeth are gone as you can see

I don't know just who to blame for this catastrophe

But my one wish on Christmas Eve is as plain as can be

Christmas Eve is Fawcett's first big tooth surgery and it's complicated, because one tooth had been knocked out before.

"Christmas Eve I get my existing implant taken out, replaced, a whole new implant put in and a bone graft from my hip to secure and build up the bone plate," said Fawcett.

Friends put his performance, which included some operatic references, on GoFundMe, hoping the Christmas spirit would mean some help with the dental bills.

So far they have raised close to $10,000.

Fawcett said he is thankful. He will have a series of surgeries before he is back to 100%. He also has to get surgery for the broken nose.

In the meantime he said his song will be a souvenier of what he assumes (and hopes) will be his only Christmas without his teeth.

"I have one wish for Christmas Eve, which is to get my teeth back."

There are other Christmas carols he would rather be living.