Dokken was initially composed of founder Don Dokken on vocals, George Lynch on lead guitar, Juan Croucier on bass, and Mick Brown on drums. The southern California group pursued a heavy yet melodic sound reminiscent of prior bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, finding success in the 80s hard rock and metal boom. The band recorded and released 'Breaking the Chains', their first studio album, in 1983. Though their fortunes struggled somewhat in the United States, they picked up a big popular response in Europe.
In 1984, Croucier left Dokken in order to join Ratt. He was replaced by multi-instrumentalist Jeff Pilson, who soon became a rock idol alongside Don Dokken and George Lynch. Their next several albums and singles showed them to be a powerful commercial force, particularly winning fans with their music videos (their one for "Dream Warriors" even featured the band facing off against Freddy Krueger himself). Their 1988 live album 'Beast from the East' earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance as well. However, Don Dokken's and George Lynch's creative differences, as well as their growing personal conflicts, brought about tension and even caused the group to break-up in 1988, though they had released multi-platinum work appealing to numerous hard rockers and metalheads.
The band has faced many changes over the years since. It wasn't until 1995 that the group resurfaced and released new material, facing a rather tepid response. As time went on, only Dokken and Brown remained from the original line-up. After several personnel alterations on guitar, Dokken's former attorney Jon Levin even stepped in to fill the role in 2004. In 2009, Sean McNabb (formerly of Great White and Quiet Riot fame) took the bass guitar slot. Mark Boals (formely of Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force) then took McNabb's position in 2014.
A series of successful web commercials for Norton Internet Security 2010 put the group back in the spotlight, the comedic spots depicting the band as a malicious computer virus. Dokken's tenth studio album, titled 'Lightning Strikes Again', was released on May 13, 2008 via Rhino Records. Several critics recommended the work as a comeback to their 'classic' sound. Their 11th album was released in 2012, 'Broken Bones'.
In 2023, Dokken, now consisting of frontman and founder Don Dokken, guitarist Jon Levin, bassist Chris McGarvill and drummer BJ Zampa, unveiled 12th album, 'Heaven Comes Down', which will be released via Silver Lining Music on October 27, 2023.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Dokken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's making a list, he's checkin' it twice
He's gonna find out whose naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He knows if you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
(So you'd)
Better be good for goodness sake
Better be good for goodness sake
You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry
You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows if you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
(So you'd)
Better be good for goodness sake
Better be good for goodness sake
You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry
You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
The lyrics of Dokken's version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" are a festive reminder to children that Santa Claus is always watching and keeping tabs on their behavior. The lyrics warn children that they better watch out, not cry, and not pout because Santa Claus is coming to town. The song mentions how Santa is making a list and checking it twice, finding out who is naughty or nice. In essence, the song is a representation of the traditional Santa Claus who rewards good behavior and punishes bad behavior.
The song is not just a playful reminder to children, but it also serves as a critical cog in the overall success of Christmas as a holiday. The lyrics touch upon the season's themes of kindness, gift-giving, and sharing. The song stresses the importance of being good for goodness' sake, which resonates with parents and guardians, reminding them to inculcate kindness in children. The song's melody is catchy and upbeat, adding to the festive cheer of the season.
Line by Line Meaning
You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry
Pay attention and refrain from crying
You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't show displeasure, listen to my reasoning
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa will shortly arrive in our locale
He's making a list, he's checkin' it twice
He is preparing and verifying the list of recipients
He's gonna find out whose naughty or nice
He shall identify who has been good and who has been bad
He sees you when you're sleeping
He is aware of your actions even when you are resting
He knows if you're awake
He has knowledge of your state of wakefulness
He knows if you've been bad or good
He can distinguish between good and bad behaviour
(So you'd) Better be good for goodness sake
Thus, it is important to behave well for the purpose of moral obligation
You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry
Pay attention and refrain from crying
You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't show displeasure, listen to my reasoning
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa will shortly arrive in our locale
Contributed by Lucy P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mylo2112ify
This is friggin awesome!!! Can't believe I never seen this. Merry fucking Christmas fellow metal heads!!!
Icy Frog
Aw, Dokken my favorite band while in high school along with clips of a great Christmas t.v. show! What could be better?
Mean Dean
@MrMegaFredzeppelin Dude, thanks so much for sharing this great version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". Dokken does one RAGIN' version!!! It's cool to be ROKKEN WITH DOKKEN during the holidays!!! ROCK ON BRO!!!!
Nancy Brewer
I adore Dokken and just discovered this video and song right before Christmas 2021! This is great! Happy Holidays, Dokken fans!
Marcus Chapman
Wow, if that's Levin he does a brilliant "George", one of my all-time fave guitarists. Yes, there is a bit of Elm Street III in there, nice nod to that with George's solo from the theme tune. This is definitely on my next Christmas playlist :)
Michelle Keaton
Have a very "Heavy Metal" Christmas!!!! \m/🎅🏻\m/
Darren Ayles
Huge Lynch fan and I Never heard this before today! O well, Christmas in the middle of Corona / July 2020. Stay safe Everybody!
Jay Rusnak
@Marc Brunengraber Yeah Levin fakes the classic Lynch style better than anyone else I've ever heard, even John Norum.
Samhaim1234
Jon Levin rules
Marc Brunengraber
Lynch is my favorite guitarist of all time, but this was recorded in 2007 with Jon Levin on guitar. Levin did a pretty epic job on this.