A relatively new Christmas carol, Santa Claus is Coming to Town was written in 1934. It was an instant hit and has been recorded by as varied of artists as one could imagine. Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alice Cooper and Gene Autry all have recordings of the song.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Lyrics
Oh! You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town!
He’s making a list,
He’s checking it twice,
He’s gonna find out
who’s naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town!
He sees you when you’re sleeping,
He knows when you’re awake.
He knows when you’ve been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!
So…You better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Little tin horns,
Little toy drums.
Rudy-toot-toot
and rummy tum tums.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Little toy dolls
that cuddle and coo,
Elephants, boats
and Kiddie cars too.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
The kids in Girl and Boy Land
will have a jubilee.
They’re gonna build a toyland town
all around the Christmas tree.
Oh….You better watch out,
You better not cry.
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is comin’
Santa Claus is comin’
Santa Claus is comin’
To town.
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
O Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
O Christmas Tree has many different versions. Originally it was written in German where there were many variations dating as far back as 1550. The most well-known version was written in 1824 and uses a folk tune called Lauriger Horatius. The version below is but one of the many English versions of the song.
O Christmas Tree
Lyrics
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
Not only green when summer’s here,
But also when ’tis cold and drear.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can’st give me;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can’st give me;
How often has the Christmas tree
Afforded me the greatest glee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can’st give me.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
From base to summit, gay and bright,
There’s only splendor for the sight.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,
And trust in God unchangingly.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee! !”
Written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix, What Child Is This? is sung to the tune of the traditional English tune Greensleeves.
What Child Is This? Lyrics
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping,
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word Made Flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary!
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh;
Come, peasant, king, to own Him!
The King of kings, salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him!
Raise, raise the song on high!
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy! joy! for Christ is born,
The babe, the son of Mary!
NOTES: This song is grammatically complex, especially the first few lines. Grammar Girl did an episode of her podcast explaining the grammar of the first verse of the song. Here’s an excerpt from that episode:
In fact, if I were an English teacher grading a student’s essay with a sentence like this one in it, I would label it “awkward” and have the student rewrite it. But as linguist Geoff Nunberg writes, “We like the incantations we recite on ritual occasions to be linguistically opaque, from the unparsable ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ … to the Pledge of Allegiance….” In that light, the difficult lyrics of old-time Christmas carols are just part of their charm.
