Christmas Wrapping
Kylie Minogue Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bah hum but that's too strong
'Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this years been a busy blur
Don't think i have the energy
To add to my already mad rush
Just 'cause 'tis the season
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left
From last year, ski shopping, counter most interesting
Had his number but never the time
(Most of '81 past along those lines)
So deck those halls and trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer
I just need to catch my breath
Christmas by myself this year

Calendar picture, frozen landscape
Chill this room for twenty-four days
Evergreens, sparkling snow, get this winter over with
Flash back, to spring time, sun again (why?)
Would have been good to go for lunch
Couldn't agree when we were both free
We tried, we said we'd keep in touch
Didn't of course 'till summer time
Out to the beach to his boat could have joined him
No this time, it was me, sunburn in the third degree
Now the calendars just one page
Of course I am excited
Tonight's the night but I've set my mind
Not to do too much about it
(Christmas is over)
Oh, no you don't

Hey
Hey
Hey
Hey
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
But I think I'll miss this one this year
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
But I think I'll miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
But I think I'll miss this one this year
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
But I think I'll miss this one this year

Hardly dashing through the snow
'Cause I bundled up too tight
Last minute have-to-do's
A few cards a few calls
'Cause it's r-s-v-p
No thanks, no party lights
It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax
Turned down all of my invites
Last fall I had a night to myself
Same guy called, Halloween party
Waited all night for him to show
This time his car wouldn't go, (I'm sorry)
Forget it, it's cold, it's getting late
Trudge on home to celebrate
In a quiet way, unwind
Doing Christmas right this time

Cool
A&P has provided me with the world's smallest turkey
All ready in the oven, nice and hot
Oh damn, guess what I forgot?
So on with the boots back out in the snow
To the only all night grocery
When what to my wondering eyes should appear?
In the line is that guy
I've been chasing all year
(I'm spending this one alone) he said
(Need a break this year's been crazy)
I said me too, but why are you?
You mean you forgot cranberries too?
Then suddenly we laughed and laughed
Caught on to what was happening
That Christmas magic's brought this tale to a very happy ending

Merry Christmas, honey
(Merry Christmas baby)

Here it comes
Hey
Hey
Hey
Hey
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Couldn't miss this one this year
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Couldn't miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Couldn't miss this one this year
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Couldn't miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Couldn't miss this one this year
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Couldn't miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Couldn't miss this one this year
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Couldn't miss this one this year




Cool
Ho ho ho

Overall Meaning

The song "Christmas Wrapping," written by Chris Butler and performed by the duo The Waitresses, tells the story of a woman who has a busy life and has been too preoccupied to fully embrace the Christmas spirit until she runs into a man she had a brief history with. The opening lines, "Bah hum but that's too strong 'Cause it is my favorite holiday," suggest that the singer enjoys Christmas but is too exhausted to fully participate in the festivities. She longs for the connections and completions of last year, possibly referencing a relationship or friendship that she wishes had continued. The line "don't think I have the energy to add to my already mad rush" reflects her desire to experience the holiday season but also acknowledges that she is overwhelmed and needs a moment of respite.


Later in the song, the singer reminisces about past experiences with a man who she saw sporadically throughout the year, suggesting a missed opportunity for a deeper connection between them. She notes that she had "his number but never the time" and that they had planned to keep in touch but didn't reconnect until the summer. This storyline adds a layer of complexity to the song and highlights the theme of missed connections.


As the song progresses, the singer accepts that she will be spending Christmas alone but eventually runs into the man from her past at a grocery store. They both forgot cranberries, and this chance meeting leads them to connect and laugh together. The upbeat ending of the song suggests that the singer was able to embrace the magic of the holiday season after all.


Line by Line Meaning

Bah hum but that's too strong
I'm feeling the Christmas spirit, but it's been a busy year and I'm exhausted.


'Cause it is my favorite holiday
Despite my weariness, I still love Christmas more than any other holiday.


But all this years been a busy blur
The past year has gone by in a blur of activity.


Don't think I have the energy
I don't think I have the strength to do anything extra this holiday season.


To add to my already mad rush
I don't want to add anything else to my already busy schedule.


Just 'cause 'tis the season
Just because it's the holiday season doesn't mean I have to go all-out with festivities.


The perfect gift for me would be
What I really want for Christmas is not a physical gift, but a sense of connection with others and a sense of completion from last year.


Completions and connections left
I want to finish or reconnect with things/people from last year.


From last year, ski shopping, counter most interesting
I want to finish the things I started last year, like ski shopping, and reconnect with intriguing people I met then.


Had his number but never the time
There was someone I wanted to connect with but never had the time to do so.


(Most of '81 past along those lines)
This is a reference to the year 1981 and the fact that much of it went by in a similar blur of busyness.


So deck those halls and trim those trees
Even though I don't have much energy, I'll still decorate for Christmas.


Raise up cups of Christmas cheer
I'll enjoy a drink or two to celebrate the holiday season.


I just need to catch my breath
I'm feeling tired and need to take a moment to rest.


Christmas by myself this year
I'll be celebrating Christmas alone this year.


Calendar picture, frozen landscape
The calendar shows a snowy winter landscape.


Chill this room for twenty-four days
The temperature will be cold for the entire month leading up to Christmas.


Evergreens, sparkling snow, get this winter over with
The snow and evergreens are pretty, but I'm ready for winter to be over already.


Flash back, to spring time, sun again (why?)
I miss the warmth and sunshine of spring and wonder why I'm living in such a cold place.


Would have been good to go for lunch
I wish I had taken the opportunity to go to lunch with someone in the past.


Couldn't agree when we were both free
We couldn't find a time that worked for both of us to go to lunch.


We tried, we said we'd keep in touch
We promised to keep in touch, but we didn't follow through.


Didn't of course 'till summer time
We didn't end up reconnecting until the summer.


Out to the beach to his boat could have joined him
We could have gone to the beach and gone on his boat together, but we didn't.


No this time, it was me, sunburn in the third degree
This time, I had the opportunity to do something but I got a really bad sunburn instead.


Now the calendars just one page
The calendar only has one page left, indicating that the year is almost over.


Of course I am excited
I'm excited for Christmas, despite my weariness.


Tonight's the night but I've set my mind
I've decided that I'm not going to go overboard with Christmas festivities tonight.


Not to do too much about it
I'm purposely not doing too much to celebrate Christmas tonight.


(Christmas is over)
This is said ironically, indicating that the holiday is just beginning and there's more to come.


Oh, no you don't
It's not really over yet, and there's still more to come.


Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
A traditional greeting for the holiday season.


But I think I'll miss this one this year
Despite the greeting, I think I'll be spending Christmas alone this year.


Hardly dashing through the snow
I'm not in a rush to do anything for Christmas.


'Cause I bundled up too tight
I bundled up too much and now I'm moving slower than I'd like.


Last minute have-to-do's
I still have a few things I need to do before Christmas arrives.


A few cards a few calls
I need to send out a few Christmas cards and make some phone calls.


'Cause it's r-s-v-p
I have to respond to some invitations for Christmas get-togethers.


No thanks, no party lights
I'm not really in the mood for parties or bright decorations.


It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax
I'm going to take it easy on Christmas Eve and just relax.


Turned down all of my invites
I declined all of the invitations I received for Christmas festivities.


Last fall I had a night to myself
I had a night to myself last fall that I enjoyed.


Same guy called, Halloween party
The same guy I wanted to have lunch with called me for a Halloween party.


Waited all night for him to show
I waited for him to show up to the party all night, but he didn't.


This time his car wouldn't go, (I'm sorry)
This time, he couldn't make it to the Christmas festivities because his car wouldn't start. He apologizes for not being there.


Forget it, it's cold, it's getting late
It's too cold and late to worry about going to Christmas festivities now.


Trudge on home to celebrate
I'm going to go home and celebrate Christmas on my own terms.


In a quiet way, unwind
I'm going to unwind and relax on Christmas Eve in a quiet way.


Doing Christmas right this time
I'm going to celebrate Christmas in a way that feels right to me this year.


A&P has provided me with the world's smallest turkey
The grocery store has provided me with a tiny turkey to cook for Christmas dinner.


All ready in the oven, nice and hot
The turkey is already cooking in the oven and is nice and hot.


Oh damn, guess what I forgot?
I realize I forgot something important for Christmas dinner.


So on with the boots back out in the snow
I have to go back out into the snow to get what I forgot.


To the only all night grocery
I have to go to the grocery store that's open all night to get what I forgot.


When what to my wondering eyes should appear?
I'm surprised to see something unexpected in the grocery store.


In the line is that guy
I see the same guy I wanted to have lunch with earlier in the year standing in line in the store.


I've been chasing all year
I've been trying to catch up with him and connect with him all year long.


(I'm spending this one alone) he said
The guy says that he's also spending Christmas alone this year.


(Need a break this year's been crazy)
The guy says he needs a break because it's been a crazy year for him too.


I said me too, but why are you?
I ask him why he's also spending Christmas alone if he's not feeling tired like I am.


You mean you forgot cranberries too?
We both realize that we forgot something important for our respective Christmas dinners.


Then suddenly we laughed and laughed
We both start laughing about the situation and realize how silly it is.


Caught on to what was happening
We realize that there might be something more between us than just a missed connection.


That Christmas magic's brought this tale to a very happy ending
The magic of Christmas has brought us together and made us both very happy.


(Merry Christmas baby)
Another traditional greeting for the holiday season.


Cool
This is an exclamation of excitement or approval.


Ho ho ho
This is Santa Claus's signature laugh and is associated with Christmas.




Lyrics Β© Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chris Butler

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Tony Ayala

She did a remarkable job of memorizing the lyrics, that song is so long and quirky but she kept it together.

Jack Cutler

Surely the greatest yet most underrated Christmas song of all time

Ed Flanagan

Well at least the original is

Decion

@Ed Flanagan not a patch on the original

Jack Cutler

@top banana alright top banana calm down. Where's your Christmas spirit ay?

top banana

​@Jack Cutler Happy Christmas Mate lol

12 More Replies...

mikeat2637

This is just amazing, she did a fantastic job, as did the band.

Richard Hall

It sounds forced and artificial to me.

YT Skeptic2022

@Richard Hall The band member who wrote it said he did Patty (the Waitresses singer) NO favors when he wrote the long continuous lines often crammed together. I suspect Kylie does not have Patty's "power" for lack of a better term.

Kenneth Tilton

Wow! A really tough song for a serious musician to take on and do it justice. Great job, Kylie!

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