Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Johnny Mathis Lyrics


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I just came back from a lovely trip along the Milky Way
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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Johnny Mathis's "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" tell the story of the singer's trip to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus. The narrative paints a vivid picture of Santa's workshop and the toys he creates for children all around the world. The song's message is about being good, as Santa is "making a list and checking it twice" to find out who is "naughty and nice." The chorus encourages children to behave and not cry or pout because Santa Claus is coming to town. The text reminds the listener that they must be good to be rewarded with gifts, and that Santa rewards behavior accordingly.


The song's lyrics also describe the various toys that Santa and his elves are making, including little tin horns, little toy drums, rooty toot toots and Rummy tum tums. The lyrics evoke the excitement that children feel during the holiday season and express the idea that their good behavior will be rewarded with these delightful gifts. The song then suggests that all the boys and girls in the world will come together and celebrate Christmas under the Christmas tree. Thus, the final message of the song is that Christmas is a time for happiness, love, and kindness.


Line by Line Meaning

I just came back from a lovely trip along the Milky Way
I recently returned from a pleasant journey through the galaxy.


Stopped off at the North Pole to spend a holiday
I took a break at the North Pole to celebrate the holidays.


I called on dear old Santa Claus
I paid a visit to Santa Claus.


To see what I could see
To find out what was going on.


He took me to his workshop
He showed me around his workshop.


And told his plans to me, so
And disclosed his plans to me.


You better watch out, you better not cry
You should be careful and not cry.


Better not pout, I'm telling you why
You shouldn't sulk because I'm telling you the reason.


Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa Claus is on his way.


He's making a list and checking it twice
He's creating a list and double-checking it.


Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
He's going to determine who's been naughty or nice.


He sees you when you're sleepin'
He's aware of when you're sleeping.


He knows when you're a wake
He knows when you're awake.


He knows if you've been bad or good
He knows whether you've been good or bad.


So be good for goodness sake
Therefore, be good for the sake of goodness itself.


Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry
Oh! You need to be observant and avoid crying.


With little tin horns and little toy drums
There will be small tin horns and toy drums.


Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
These toys will make a distinctive noise when played.


And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
There will be dolls with curly hair that move and make sounds.


Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Additionally, there will be toys such as elephants, boats, and toy cars.


Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
At that time, children in both Girl and Boy land will be overjoyed.


They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
They will construct a Toyland centered around the Christmas tree.


Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play
Santa is a very busy person and doesn't have time to play.


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's advisable that you write your letter now.


And mail it right away
And send it immediately.


Because he's getting ready
Because he's preparing.


His reindeer's and his sleigh.
He's getting his reindeers and sleigh ready for his journey.




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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