Get Behind Me Santa!
2.Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
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You move so fast like a psychopathic color TV,
With your Christmas bag and your jolly face,
And the reindeer stompin' all over the place
Take it easy, what ya gotta be so absurd?
You make it sound like Christmas is a four-letter word
Its a fact of life whether you like or not,
I hope that you take it to heart boy,
It's Christmas time, ain't no clowning around
And if you think you got something to prove boy,
Santa Claus is coming to town
I don't care about family and shopping malls,
Candy canes or the carolers decking the halls
I don't care about what you say Santa Claus
You're a bad brother breaking into people's garage
Jeez!
You got it wrong,
'Cause I'm just another regular guy,
Super powers and a penchant for the Yuletime
Is it a crime to give a little once in awhile,
I travel 'round the world trying to make people smile
I know that you take it too hard boy,
It's Christmas time, ain't no clowning around
And if you think you got something to prove boy,
Santa Claus is coming to town
C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
Christmastime, Christmastime,
Christmastime,
Magic of Christmas,
Christmas, Christmastime,
Christmastime,
Have a good time!
The lyrics of Sufjan Stevens's "Get Behind Me Santa!" are both playful and critical of the commercialization of the Christmas season. The song opens with the singer accusing Santa Claus of moving too fast and being like a "psychopathic color TV." The jolly aspect of Santa's character is emphasized as he is described as having a "Christmas bag" and his reindeer stomping all over the place. The next line of the song urges Santa to take it easy and not make Christmas sound like a four-letter word. While Christmas is a fact of life, it also brings significant stress to many who are pressured into buying gifts and participating in holiday festivities.
The singer is unconcerned about family, shopping malls, or carolers which are often hallmark components of Christmas. He emphasizes that he does not believe in breaking into people's garages which implies that Santa is not only commercial but criminal in nature. The chorus of the song, "I don't care about what you say Santa Claus/ You're a bad brother breaking into people's garage/ Jeez!" plays off the classic line "he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake" and turns Santa into a potential burglar! The singer then positions himself as a regular guy who uses his "superpowers" to spread joy and make people smile. The chorus is repeated with a playful spelling of the word Christmas.
The song is a commentary on consumerism and how the true meaning of Christmas is often lost amidst commercialization. However, Stevens takes a lighthearted approach to this critique by using the figure of Santa Claus, traditionally associated with happiness and generosity, to make his point. In this song, Santa is almost a caricature of himself: commercial, pushy, and guilt-tripping.
Line by Line Meaning
I know whatcha doing to me boy,
I understand what you're doing to me, buddy,
You move so fast like a psychopathic color TV,
You're moving at an unnaturally quick and erratic pace,
With your Christmas bag and your jolly face,
You're carrying a bag of Christmas gifts and wearing a happy expression on your face,
And the reindeer stompin' all over the place
The reindeer are making a lot of noise and commotion,
Take it easy, what ya gotta be so absurd?
Calm down, why are you being so ridiculous?
You make it sound like Christmas is a four-letter word
You're making it seem like Christmas is something negative,
Its a fact of life whether you like or not,
Christmas is an unavoidable reality, whether or not you enjoy it,
So put your hands together and give it a shot
Embrace Christmas and give it a try,
I hope that you take it to heart boy,
I hope you take this seriously,
It's Christmas time, ain't no clowning around
Christmas is a serious occasion, not a time for fooling around,
And if you think you got something to prove boy,
And if you feel like you need to prove something,
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is on his way,
I don't care about family and shopping malls,
I'm not interested in family gatherings or shopping centers,
Candy canes or the carolers decking the halls
I don't care about candy canes or people singing Christmas carols,
I don't care about what you say Santa Claus
I don't care about your portrayal of Santa Claus,
You're a bad brother breaking into people's garage
You're a criminal who steals from people's garages,
Jeez!
Wow!
You got it wrong,
You're mistaken,
'Cause I'm just another regular guy,
I'm just a normal person,
Super powers and a penchant for the Yuletime
I don't have any special abilities, but I enjoy Christmas,
Is it a crime to give a little once in awhile,
Why is it wrong to show generosity every now and then?
I travel 'round the world trying to make people smile
I travel all over the world in an effort to bring joy to others,
C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
Christmas!
Christmastime, Christmastime,
It's Christmas season,
Christmastime,
It's Christmas season,
Magic of Christmas,
There's something special about Christmas,
Christmas, Christmastime,
It's Christmas season,
Christmastime,
It's Christmas season,
Have a good time!
Enjoy yourself!
Contributed by Nolan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.