The Night Before Christmas
Laurie Z. (Holiday) Lyrics

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
It was Christmas Eve and the house was quiet

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
No one and nothing was moving in the house

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
The stockings were carefully placed on the chimney in hopes of being filled with goodies

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
They hope that Saint Nicholas will come and fill the stockings

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
The children were sleeping comfortably in their beds

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
The children were imagining sweet treats like sugar-plums in their dreams

And mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
The mother wore a kerchief on her head, and the father wore a cap to go to bed

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.
They had just gone to bed to get a good night of rest before the busy Christmas day

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
They heard a loud noise outside the house

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
The father got up quickly to investigate the noise

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
The father ran quickly to the window

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
He opened the window and the shutters

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
The moon was shining bright on the new snow outside

Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.
The snow on the ground was so bright that it looked like it was daytime

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
To his surprise, the father saw something unusual outside

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
He saw a small sleigh and eight little reindeer

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
The driver of the sleigh was an old but lively man

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
The father realized quickly that it was Santa Claus

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
The reindeer were moving quickly like eagles

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
Santa was shouting and whistling, calling each reindeer by their name

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
Santa was calling each of the reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
He also called the other reindeer: Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Santa directed the reindeer to the top of the porch and the top of the wall

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
He instructed the reindeer to dash away

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
The reindeer ran quickly as if blown by a wild hurricane

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
If they came across an obstacle, they would jump up high into the sky

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
The reindeer flew up quickly to the top of the house

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
The sleigh was full of presents and Santa Claus was riding in front

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
Suddenly, the father heard a noise on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
He could hear the reindeer hooves prancing and pawing on the roof

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
The father turned his head around and looked in the other direction

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
Suddenly, Santa Claus jumped down the chimney quickly

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
Santa Claus was wearing fur clothing from head to toe

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
His clothes were dirty from the ashes and soot in the chimney

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
Santa Claus had a bag full of presents that he carried on his back

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
He looked like a traveling salesman, just opening his bag of goods

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
Santa Claus had twinkling eyes and merry dimples

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His cheeks were red like roses, and his nose was as red as a cherry

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
His mouth was drawn up in a funny way that looked like a bow

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
His beard was as white as the snow outside

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
He held a pipe in his teeth as he worked

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
Smoke from his pipe curled around his head like a wreath

He had a broad face and a little round belly,
Santa had a wide face and a round belly

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
When he laughed, his belly shook like a bowlful of jelly

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
Santa was chubby and happy, and looked like a cheerful old elf

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
The father couldn't help but laugh when he saw Santa

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Santa gave a sly wink and turned his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
The father realized that he had nothing to worry about

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Santa didn't say anything, but went straight to work filling the stockings with presents

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
Santa filled all of the stockings quickly, then turned suddenly

And laying his finger aside of his nose,
He put his finger next to his nose

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He gave a nod, then rose up the chimney and disappeared

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
Santa jumped to his sleigh and whistled to his team of reindeer

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
They all flew quickly away, like the soft and light thistle down

But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
Before he was out of sight, Santa exclaimed

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Wishing everyone a happy Christmas and a good night