Slow as Christmas
Clint Black Lyrics

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Chorus

You're as slow as christmas, I was up before the dawn
Up so fast I missed it or was that old saying wrong
Every christmas day makes every other day seem long
And what seemed would never get here
Has so quickly come and gone

Verse one

I've heard old sayings, old cliches and
Most of them make sense
But we're wiser in our younger days not easily convinced
There's no way to look ahead with the wool over your eyes
And it seems that santa's sled isn't the only thing that flies

(repeat chorus)

Verse two

We're bringing in another year let's throw the old one back
With my new train I'll be the engineer
And hurry down the track
While I know that time is standing still
I hear that old cliche
And I'm more convinced it does until that
One December day

Chorus two

When I'm as slow as christmas
I'll be up before the dawn
I'm gonna miss this
I know that old saying's wrong
Every christmas day makes other day seem long
And what seemed would never get here

Has so quickly come and gone,
Come and gone

Overall Meaning

The title of the song, Slow as Christmas, suggests that time is moving very slowly. However, the lyrics subvert that idea by saying that actually, time has flown by so quickly that it has already come and gone. The singer begins by reflecting on common sayings and clichés, saying that while they make sense, they are not always easy to believe. The idea of Santa's sleigh flying is used to show that even things we don't think make sense (like time flying) can still be true.

The chorus repeats the title line, adding to it by saying that the singer was up before the dawn, missing the day. This could suggest that the singer is someone who is always in a rush, impatient with the world around them. The idea that every other day seems long in comparison to Christmas Day emphasizes how much time has slowed down for the singer.

In the second verse, the singer talks about bringing in a new year and leaving the old one behind. They use the metaphor of a train on tracks to show their attempt to move forward quickly, but the idea that time is standing still comes back in again. By saying "when I'm as slow as Christmas," the chorus suggests that the singer wants to slow down and enjoy the moment more fully, rather than constantly rushing through life.

Line by Line Meaning

You're as slow as christmas, I was up before the dawn
You move at a snail's pace; I woke up earlier than the sunrise

Up so fast I missed it or was that old saying wrong
I moved so quickly I missed it; is the idiom 'slow as Christmas' really a misnomer?

Every christmas day makes every other day seem long
The duration of Christmas day feels much longer than any other day

And what seemed would never get here
Something that felt distant or unreachable

Has so quickly come and gone
Fleeting time has made the aforementioned event pass by quickly

I've heard old sayings, old cliches and
I've heard many well-worn phrases

Most of them make sense
The majority of them are logical

But we're wiser in our younger days not easily convinced
When we're younger, we're more open to suggestion but as we age we become more skeptical

There's no way to look ahead with the wool over your eyes
You can't plan for the future with a blindfold over your eyes

And it seems that santa's sled isn't the only thing that flies
There are other things that also move at a quick pace

When I'm as slow as christmas
When I'm moving at a glacial pace