He was born in Hamburg, Germany, and studied at the School of Music there. A multi-instrumentalist, he was hired by Hans Busch to play with his orchestra before serving as a bandsman in the German Navy during World War II. He later formed his own big band, toured with them, then worked as an arranger and producer, making hit records with Freddy Quinn and Ivo Robic. In 1961, he hired The Beatles to back Tony Sheridan on "My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean)," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry for a Shadow," in a session for Polydor. These turned out to be the Beatles' first commercial recordings. When Beatles manager Brian Epstein asked Kaempfert about further promoting The Beatles, Kaempfert informed Epstein that the company was only interested in The Beatles as Tony Sheridan's backup group. (It also turned out British Decca executive Dick Rowe turned them down in favor of local beat combo Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.) He then released The Beatles from their contract with Polydor.
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Bert Kaempfert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stopped off at the North Pole to spend a holiday
I called on dear old Santa Claus
To see what I could see
He took me to his workshop
And told his plans to me, so
[Chorus]You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He's making a list and checking it twice
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He knows when you're a wake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Santa Claus is comin' to town
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
So! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play
He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day
You'd better write your letter now
And mail it right away
Because he's getting ready
His reindeer's and his sleigh. So
[Chorus]
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Santa Claus is comin' to town
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
So! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
The lyrics of Bert Kaempfert's 'Santa Claus is Comin' to Town' tell the story of a narrator's visit to Santa Claus at the North Pole. During the visit, Santa invites the singer to his workshop and reveals his plans for Christmas. The chorus warns listeners to behave well, as Santa is coming to town and making a list of who is naughty and nice. The second verse describes the type of toys that Santa will bring to children – little tin horns, toy drums, rooty toot toots, rummy tum tums, curly head dolls, elephants, boats, and kiddie cars. The end of the lyrics urge children to write and mail their letters to Santa with haste so that he can prepare for his busy Christmas day.
Overall, the song has a jolly and playful tone, depicting a festive world full of wonder and cheer. The lyrics are meant to invoke a sense of childish joy and wonder, reminding listeners that Santa Claus is a magical and essential part of the holiday season.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was originally written by James "Haven" Gillespie and John Frederick Coots in 1934. The song was first performed on radio by the Eddie Cantor in November of 1934. Since then, the song has been covered by over 200 different artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, and The Jackson 5. Another fact is that the song was featured in the classic Christmas special, 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' in 1964. The song was used as the opening credits to the special, which has aired every year since then. Additionally, the song was included in the 2020 animated film 'Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.'
Line by Line Meaning
I just came back from a lovely trip along the Milky Way
I have recently returned from a delightful journey along the Milky Way galaxy
Stopped off at the North Pole to spend a holiday
I took a break at the North Pole to have a holiday
I called on dear old Santa Claus
I visited the beloved Santa Claus
To see what I could see
To observe and discover what is happening at Santa's workshop
He took me to his workshop
He showed me his workshop
And told his plans to me, so
He shared his plans with me
You better watch out, you better not cry
Be cautious, don't cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't act upset, let me explain why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa will soon arrive in our town
He's making a list and checking it twice
Santa is preparing and reviewing his list of kids who have been good and bad
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa will determine who has been good and who has been bad
He sees you when you're sleepin'
Santa knows when we are sleeping
He knows when you're a wake
Santa knows when we are awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
Santa knows if we have been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
So, it is better to be good for the sake of goodness
Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry
Oh! Be careful, don't cry
With little tin horns and little toy drums
There will be plenty of toy instruments like tin horns and toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
The toys will make wonderful sounds like "rooty toot toots" and "rummy tum tums"
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
There will be adorable curly-head dolls that move around and make cute sounds
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
There will be toy elephants, boats, and small cars
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
Boys and girls will feel pure joy in their hearts
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
They are preparing and setting up a Toyland around the Christmas tree
Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play
Santa is a busy person, and he doesn't have time for leisure activities
He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day
He has to fill millions of stockings on Christmas day
You'd better write your letter now
It is better to write your letter to Santa as soon as possible
And mail it right away
And send it without delay
Because he's getting ready
Because he is preparing
His reindeer's and his sleigh. So
He is preparing his reindeer and sleigh to deliver Christmas gifts
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Coots, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind