In 2002, Halstead released his debut solo album, Sleeping on Roads. A second solo album, Oh! Mighty Engine was released on July 29, 2008. Halstead's third solo album, 'Palindrome Hunches', was released on September 11, 2012.
The Man in The Santa Suit
Neil Halstead Lyrics
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There's a fat man standing
By the soda machine
And he knows, he knows, he knows
Life can be funny
He calls the hair salon
Says put Loretta on
Said the last guy's gone
And I know, I know God knows
We need the money
He's a big red cherry
But it's hard to be merry
When the kids are all laughing
Saying, hey it's Jerry Garcia
Ain't he cute?
The man in the Santa suit
And all the moms in town
They bring their brats around
But they can't keep still or
Keep their root beer down
Now it's up, hey how 'bout that
It looks like a milkshake
And Jimmy's grown this year
Says mommy, quick come here
Santa's sweaty and he smells like beer
And he says, hey kid shut your mouth
You give me a headache
And he's jolly and hairy
But it's hard to be merry
When the guys at the bar
Say he looks like a fairy
And he's doing it just for the loot
The man in the Santa suit
At the KOC Local 3.13
There's a fat man standing
By the soda machine
And he knows, he knows, he knows
Life can be funny
Neil Halstead’s “The Man in The Santa Suit” is a melancholic 90s alt-rock classic that explores the hardships of a man working as Santa Claus during the holiday season. The song is set in the KOC Local 3.13, a local chapter of the Knights of Columbus, where the man in the Santa suit works. He stands by the soda machine and contemplates the irony of life. Despite his position as Santa, he is struggling to make ends meet and support himself financially.
The man makes a call to the hair salon to have Loretta put on the phone. He receives word that the mall has called and said the last guy has gone. He knows that he needs the money, so he puts on the red suit and gets to work. The man in the Santa suit is seen as a source of amusement to some children who call him Jerry Garcia. The moms in the town bring their kids to see him, but they cannot keep still, and their root beer is always spilling, making his job harder.
The man is also subjected to ridicule from the guys at the bar, who think he looks like a fairy doing it just for the loot. The Santa image has been tarnished, and he is left to feel isolated and alone, struggling to make sense of his life. “The Man in the Santa Suit” is a poignant song that captures the complexities of the holiday season and the struggle that some people face, even during the most festive time of the year.
Line by Line Meaning
At the KOC Local 3.13
The setting of the story is at the KOC Local 3.13.
There's a fat man standing
There is a man wearing a Santa suit standing.
By the soda machine
He is standing next to a soda machine.
And he knows, he knows, he knows
Life can be funny
He is aware that life can be unpredictable and funny.
He calls the hair salon
Says put Loretta on
'Cause the mall just called and
Said the last guy's gone
And I know, I know God knows
We need the money
He calls the hair salon and requests Loretta because the mall needs a replacement Santa. He is aware of the urgency of the situation and the need for money.
He's a big red cherry
But it's hard to be merry
When the kids are all laughing
Saying, hey it's Jerry Garcia
Ain't he cute?
The man in the Santa suit
The man in the Santa suit is compared to a big, red cherry, but is finding it hard to be festive due to the children's comments comparing him to Jerry Garcia.
And all the moms in town
They bring their brats around
But they can't keep still or
Keep their root beer down
Now it's up, hey how 'bout that
It looks like a milkshake
The moms bring their kids to see Santa, but the kids are rowdy and spill their root beer, making a mess that resembles a milkshake.
And Jimmy's grown this year
Says mommy, quick come here
Santa's sweaty and he smells like beer
And he says, hey kid shut your mouth
You give me a headache
Jimmy notices that Santa seems different this year and his mother comes over to investigate, only to discover that Santa is sweaty and smells like beer. Santa is annoyed by Jimmy's comments and tells him to be quiet.
And he's jolly and hairy
But it's hard to be merry
When the guys at the bar
Say he looks like a fairy
And he's doing it just for the loot
The man in the Santa suit
Although Santa is traditionally portrayed as jolly and hairy, he is struggling to be happy with the way he is being perceived by others. The men at the bar make fun of him, calling him a fairy, and he is only doing this for the money.
At the KOC Local 3.13
There's a fat man standing
By the soda machine
And he knows, he knows, he knows
Life can be funny
The song ends with the realization that the man in the Santa suit is still standing by the soda machine, knowing that life can be unpredictable and humorous.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zeebo 197
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MrWolfSnack
I heard this in Big Lots, 12-21-2020
A Y
Did Neil write this song, or was it someone else?