Must Be Santa
Ken Whiteley/Raffi Lyrics
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Santa's got a beard that's long and white.
Who comes around on a special night?
Santa comes around on a special night.
Special night, beard that's white
Must be santa, must be santa,
Must be santa, santa claus.
Who wears boots and a suit of red?
Santa wears boots and a suit of red.
Who wears a long cap on his head?
Santa wears a long cap on his head.
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white
Must be santa, must be santa,
Must be santa, santa claus.
Who's got a big red cherry nose?
Santa's got a big red cherry nose.
Who laughs this way, "ho, ho, ho!"?
Santa laughs this way, "ho, ho, ho!".
Ho, ho, ho, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white
Must be santa, must be santa,
Must be santa, santa claus.
Who very soon will come our way?
Santa very soon will come our way.
Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh.
Santa's little reindeer pull his sleigh.
Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
Ho, ho, ho, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white
Must be santa, must be santa,
Must be santa, santa claus.
Dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen,
Eisenhower, kennedy, johnson, nixon.
Dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen,
Carter, reagan, bush, and clinton.
Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
Ho, ho, ho, cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white
Must be santa, must be santa,
Must be santa, santa claus
Ken Whiteley's song "Must Be Santa" is a song about Santa Claus, highlighting his iconic features and characteristics. The song's structure consists of a call and response pattern, with the first stanza asking who has certain features, and the second stanza answering with Santa. The song starts by asking about Santa's long white beard, which is one of his most recognizable features. Then it asks who comes around on a special night, to which the answer is Santa on Christmas Eve. The repetition of the line "Must be Santa, Santa Claus" creates an almost hypnotic quality that makes the song both catchy and memorable.
The song continues by asking about Santa's clothing. The next two stanzas ask about his suit of red, boots, and cap, all of which come together to create Santa's iconic outfit. The following stanza highlights Santa's cherry red nose as yet another unique feature. Finally, the song acknowledges that Santa is on his way, with eight little reindeer pulling his sleigh, a nod to the traditional story of Santa delivering gifts around the world on Christmas Eve. The last stanza is a playful tribute to the reindeer, listing their names, followed by a humorous list of past US presidents with the same names.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's got a beard that's long and white?
Someone with a long and white beard is in question
Santa's got a beard that's long and white.
The person referred in the previous line is Santa Claus
Who comes around on a special night?
Asking who visits on a particular night
Santa comes around on a special night.
Jesus Christ's birthday, the 25th of December, is a special night when Santa visits
Special night, beard that's white
Reiterating the fact of a special night and the presence of someone with a white beard
Must be santa, must be santa,
Emphasizing that the person being referred to is Santa Claus
Must be santa, santa claus.
Concluding that the person alluded to is none other than the legendary Santa Claus
Who wears boots and a suit of red?
Asking about the appearance of the person being referred to
Santa wears boots and a suit of red.
The person being referenced is confirmed to be Santa Claus
Who wears a long cap on his head?
Asking if the person being talked about dons a long headgear
Santa wears a long cap on his head.
Identifying that the person being referred to wears a red cap on their head
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Describing Santa's usual outfit
Special night, beard that's white
Reiterating the context of a special night and insisting on the presence of Santa Claus
Must be santa, must be santa,
Re-emphasizing that the person being referred to is indeed Santa Claus
Must be santa, santa claus.
Concluding once again that the person being talked about is Santa Claus
Who's got a big red cherry nose?
Enquiring about a big nose that is colored red
Santa's got a big red cherry nose.
Confirming that the nose belongs to Santa Claus
Who laughs this way, "ho, ho, ho!"?
Asking about a distinct way of laughing
Santa laughs this way, "ho, ho, ho!".
Identifying that the laughter style belongs to Santa Claus
Ho, ho, ho, cherry nose,
Repeating the unique characteristics of Santa Claus
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Reiterating the details of Santa's attire
Special night, beard that's white
Re-emphasizing the setting and appearance of Santa Claus
Must be santa, must be santa,
Reiterating the fact that the person being referred to is Santa Claus
Must be santa, santa claus.
Concluding once again that the person talked about is Santa Claus
Who very soon will come our way?
Asking about an upcoming visit
Santa very soon will come our way.
Confirming that Santa Claus will soon be visiting
Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh.
Enlightening the listeners about the means of transportation used by Santa Claus
Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
Describing Santa's way of transport and encouraging it to come this way
Ho, ho, ho, cherry nose,
Reiterating Santa's unique looks and sounds
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Re-emphasizing Santa's attire
Special night, beard that's white
Stressing the context and appearance of Santa Claus
Must be santa, must be santa,
Reiterating that the person being referred to is Santa Claus
Must be santa, santa claus.
Conclusively reiterating that the person being talked about is indeed Santa Claus
Dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen,
Naming the eight reindeer that pull Santa's sleigh
Eisenhower, kennedy, johnson, nixon.
Listing out the names of former American presidents that do not have any association with the song
Dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen,
Naming the four reindeer once again
Carter, reagan, bush, and clinton.
Listing out the names of four more American presidents who have no connection to the song
Reindeer sleigh, come our way,
Encouraging Santa's traditional mode of transport to come this way
Ho, ho, ho, cherry nose,
Re-emphasizing Santa's unique appearance and attributes
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Reiterating Santa's distinct attire
Special night, beard that's white
Repeating the setting and appearance of Santa Claus
Must be santa, must be santa,
Reiterating that the person being talked about is indeed Santa Claus
Must be santa, santa claus.
Conclusively stating that the person referred to is Santa Claus
Lyrics © WOODWYN MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: Hal Moore, William Fredricks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind