Christmas
"Weird Al" Yankovic Lyrics


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It's Christmas at ground zero
There's music in the air
The sleigh bells are ringing and the carolers are singing
While the air raid sirens blare
It's Christmas at ground zero
The button has been pressed
The radio just let us know that this is not a test
Everywhere the atom bombs are dropping
It's the end of all humanity
No more time for last minute shopping
It's time to meet your final destiny
It's Christmas at ground zero
There's panic in the crowd
While we dodge debris let's trim the tree
Underneath the mushroom cloud

You might hear some reindeer on your rooftop
Or Jack Frost on your windowsill
But if someone's climbing down your chimney
You better load your gun and shoot to kill
It's Christmas at ground zero
And if the radiation levels OK
I'll go out with you and see all the new
Mutations on New Year's Day
It's Christmas at ground zero
Just seconds left to go
I'll duck and cover with my Yuletide lover
Underneath the mistletoe
It's Christmas at ground zero
Now the missiles are on their way
What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday




What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday

Overall Meaning

"Weird Al" Yankovic's song Christmas At Ground Zero speaks about a scenario where Christmas and a nuclear bomb attack coincide. The song starts with the singer describing that it is Christmas at ground zero, and the air is filled with music, sleigh bells ringing, and carolers singing. However, instead of the usual jolly atmosphere of festivity, the air raid sirens are blaring. The button has been pressed and a message on the radio confirms that it is not a drill. Atom bombs are dropping, and there is no time for last-minute shopping as everyone is meeting their final destiny.


The singer comments on the contrast between the typical holiday celebrations and the panic in the crowd while people dodge debris. The chorus repeats that it is Christmas at ground zero, where even amidst the nuclear catastrophe, they seek to find something to celebrate. The next verse speaks about the dangers of assuming that Santa Claus might come down the chimney, warning that it could be an attacker that needs to be shot to kill. The final verse speaks of the aftermath of the bomb and the mutations that could occur.


Overall, "Weird Al" Yankovic's song Christmas At Ground Zero brings a satirical, comical approach to the grim reality of nuclear warfare. The song also highlights the danger of assuming safety around Christmas while also serving as a reminder that war never takes a break, even during the most festive of holidays.


Line by Line Meaning

It's Christmas at ground zero
It's the Christmas season, with all its joy and festivities, but unfortunately it's taking place in a location that is about to experience a nuclear attack.


There's music in the air
Despite the impending doom, people are trying to keep their spirits up by playing music and celebrating like they normally would during the holidays.


The sleigh bells are ringing and the carolers are singing
People are trying to keep up with traditions, even during the final moments before the attack.


While the air raid sirens blare
The constant sound of air raid sirens remind people that the worst is yet to come.


The button has been pressed
The decision to launch the nuclear missiles has already been made, and there's no going back now.


The radio just let us know that this is not a test
This isn't a drill or a practice run - the bombs are definitely on their way and everyone should prepare for the worst.


Everywhere the atom bombs are dropping
The nuclear attack is happening all around, destroying everything in its path.


It's the end of all humanity
This attack represents the end of civilization as we know it, with no hope for the future.


No more time for last minute shopping
People don't have the luxury of worrying about holiday gifts or other trivial things - they're just trying to stay alive.


It's time to meet your final destiny
Everyone realizes that they're about to die and are coming to terms with what that means for them personally.


There's panic in the crowd
Despite efforts to keep calm, people are becoming more and more panicked as the attack draws closer.


While we dodge debris let's trim the tree
Even in these dire circumstances, people are still trying to do what they can to maintain some sense of normalcy and familiarity.


Underneath the mushroom cloud
All of this is happening while a huge mushroom cloud from the explosion looms overhead.


You might hear some reindeer on your rooftop
Despite the tragic and unusual circumstances, it's still the Christmas season and people are hearing things that would normally signal this time of year.


Or Jack Frost on your windowsill
Other wintry things that people would expect to see or hear are still happening, despite the apocalypse.


But if someone's climbing down your chimney
People are on high alert and suspicious of any strange activity, even if it's something that would normally bring joy.


You better load your gun and shoot to kill
The fear and uncertainty of the situation has caused extreme reactions, even to things that wouldn't normally be threatening.


And if the radiation levels OK
Assuming that people survive the initial attack, they'll still need to be aware of the radiation levels in the aftermath.


I'll go out with you and see all the new
Assuming that people survive, they'll need to survey the damage and see how the world has changed due to the fallout.


Mutations on New Year's Day
This new world will undoubtedly feature strange and frightening mutations due to the radiation exposure.


Just seconds left to go
The attack is getting closer and closer, and people are running out of time to prepare.


I'll duck and cover with my Yuletide lover
Even though they know they're going to die, people are still holding on to each other and trying to make the most of their remaining moments together.


Underneath the mistletoe
Even in the midst of chaos and destruction, people are still trying to hold on to moments of intimacy and joy.


Now the missiles are on their way
The bombs are finally on their way, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop them.


What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
Despite all the planning and preparation, it still seems unbelievable that this is actually happening.


On this jolly holiday
All of this is happening during the holiday season, a time that is supposed to be filled with joy and peace.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AL YANKOVIC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@jmowreader9555

You can't graduate from Army basic training until you pass an end of course test. When I was in, they called it Soldier Stakes; they either marched or trucked the whole company to this huge building and you went from sergeant to sergeant doing hands-on evaluations. One of my troops was going through with a guy from WAY the hell down south...this guy gets up to the sergeant who's testing the React to a Nuclear Explosion task.

Sergeant asks him, "Private, how would you react if you saw a nuclear blast in front of you?"
The correct answer is, "Sergeant, I would immediately dive to the ground on top of my weapon, cover all exposed skin, and tuck my hands under my body."
Then the sergeant would ask why you laid on top of your weapon and you were supposed to answer, "Sergeant, I would lay on top of your weapon so it doesn't blow away."
He would then ask why you covered all your skin and you were supposed to answer, "Sergeant, I would cover my exposed skin so it doesn't get burned."
(They never really explained how you were supposed to have the time to do all these things, just that you were supposed to do them.)

Not this fucking guy.
"Private, how would you react if you saw a nuclear blast in front of you?"
"Sergeant, I would bend over and kiss my ass goodbye."

He passed, on grounds that it would work about as well as what you learned in basic training.



All comments from YouTube:

@kenyastarflight

Fun fact -- Weird Al was pretty much forced by his record label to record a Christmas song. This was the result. Moral of this story -- don't MAKE Weird Al do something he doesn't want to do, because he'll make it backfire on you. (And produce one of the finest examples of black comedy at the same time.)

@petergant1379

They PROBABLY won't make THAT mistake again, but, based on how well this was received, never say never!

@erichusmann5145

@@petergant1379 They did. Either shortly before or shortly after this one. "The Night Santa Went Crazy" was the result.

After that, they realized that forcing Al to do Christmas songs doesn't end well, and they've never tried again. (If Al ever decided he wanted to do one, I'm sure it would be just fine. Just, he doesn't want to, and doesn't want to be forced.)

@rebeccakleitz3177

@@erichusmann5145 Al is a King.

@petergant1379

@@madhatter6913 It's ALREADY popular, and, the only way it could get LESS popular, .might be if Russia DOES start using NUKES. There'd be fewer people left to listen to ANYONE'S music, maybe on a Global scale!

@madhatter6913

@@petergant1379 Its the end of the world as we know it…. And I feel fine.

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@CHIIIEEEEEEEEFFFFSSS

Saw Weird Al on this last tour, and he said "This is a song I wrote 35 years ago, but lucky me, it's more relevant today than ever before" and went right into this.

@thescooshinator

And now it's 100 times more relevant.

@thegosouppodcast391

When this song was written was released it was also relevant because this was during the cold war where everyone thought they were going to be nuked because of the conflict between Russian and American

@top6ear

crazy eh!

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