Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Bing Crosby/The Voice of Christmas Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town, gather all

He's making a list and checking it twice
He's 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 awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

You better watch out, you better not cry
You 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

The kids in girls and boy land will have a jubilee
They're gonna build a Toyland town all around the Christmas tree
You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town

He sees you when you're sleepin'
And he knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town

You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin'





You mean, the big fat man with the long white beard
He's comin' to town

Overall Meaning

The famous Christmas song “Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town” was written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, and was first performed on Eddie Cantor's radio show in November 1934. The song is a joyful reminder that Christmas is near, and encourages children to be good throughout the year so that Santa will visit them on Christmas Eve.


The lyrics of the song warn children that Santa Claus is watching and keeping track of their actions, and is making a list of the good and bad ones. He will reward the good children with toys and treats, but the naughty ones will receive coal or nothing at all. The song creates a sense of excitement and anticipation among children, who look forward to the surprises that Santa will bring on Christmas Eve.


Line by Line Meaning

You better watch out, you better not cry
Be careful and don't start to weep


You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't make your lips push forward, let me explain why


Santa Claus is comin' to town, gather all
The man in the red suit is on his way, gather everyone together


He's making a list and checking it twice
He's creating a list and examining it again to make sure it's accurate


He's gonna find out who's naughty and nice
He's going to determine who has been good and who has been bad


Santa Claus is comin' to town
The jolly fellow we all anticipate is approaching


He sees you when you're sleepin'
He has a view of you while you're sleeping


He knows when you're awake
He is aware of your movement when you're conscious


He knows if you've been bad or good
He can sense whether you've been kind or naughty


So be good for goodness sake
Therefore, try to be good for the sake of being good


With little tin horns and little toy drums
There will be cute toys such as tin horns and toy drums


Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
There will be toys that make funny musical sounds


And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Additionally, there will be adorable dolls with curly hair and that toddle and make cooing sounds


Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Toys such as elephants, boats, and cars for children will also be there


Santa Claus is comin' to town
Once more, the red-suited man is on his way


The kids in girls and boy land will have a jubilee
The boys and girls in the patch will be extremely happy


They're gonna build a Toyland town all around the Christmas tree
They will construct a town of toys surrounding the yuletide tree


You mean, the big fat man with the long white beard
Do you mean the big, portly fellow with the lengthy white beard?


He's comin' to town
He is indeed approaching




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: John Coots, Haven Gillespie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Lisa S

First of all, the Andrews Sisters. . . yay. 💕 Second, @the78prof, how can I find some of these strike-era recordings--I'm very interested in hearing what they were like--and is there a book about this story? I didn't know any of it--thank you!

Marcio Piza

Great Song...

Ezra Lewis

Prep And Landing Naughty Vs. Nice On ABC Brought Me Here

Mdmjr24

doom 3's Enhanced Multiplayer Map on Christmas 2009 Frosty's Ice Box Brought Me Here :)

More Versions