Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Paul Austin Kelly 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 song Santa Claus is Comin' to Town opens with the singer describing a cosmic journey to the North Pole to stay with Santa Claus for some time. During his stay, the singer visits Santa's workshop, where Santa outlines his holiday plans to the singer. The song then shifts into a warning for children to monitor their behavior because Santa Claus is making his annual visit. Santa Claus watches over children, rewarding those who have been well-behaved by bringing them toys. In contrast, he keeps track of the names of those who have been naughty, and as a result, they are unlikely to receive a present.


The song's chorus serves as a reminder that Santa Claus is an omniscient figure who observes and knows everything about the children he visits. The song hints at rewards for good behavior, such as receiving presents. The verse about the toys that Santa Claus brings reinforces the joy of Christmas morning, where children gather around the tree and exchange gifts. The second chorus settles back into a wholesome, joyful allusion to a Toyland filled with dolls, toy drums, kiddie cars, and other magical wonders that Santa Claus brings. The song concludes by urging listeners to write their letters to Santa Claus now and mail them so that he can have them fulfilled in time for Christmas.


Line by Line Meaning

I just came back from a lovely trip along the Milky Way
I went on a beautiful journey through the galaxy


Stopped off at the North Pole to spend a holiday
I took a vacation at the North Pole


I called on dear old Santa Claus
I visited Santa Claus


To see what I could see
To look around and see what was there


He took me to his workshop
He showed me his workshop


And told his plans to me, so
He explained 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
Don't act upset, and I'll tell you why


Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa Claus is coming soon


He's making a list and checking it twice
He's making a list and checking it twice


Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
He will determine who has been good or bad


He sees you when you're sleepin'
He observes you when you're sleeping


He knows when you're awake
He knows when you're awake


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


So be good for goodness sake
So be good just because it's the right thing to do


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


Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
There will be fun sounds and beats


And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
There will be lovely dolls that move and make sounds


Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
There will also be elephant toys, boats, and toy cars


Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
The children in the land of boys and girls will be very happy


They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
They will make a toyland around the Christmas tree


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


He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day
He has millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day


You'd better write your letter now
You should write your letter now


And mail it right away
And send it quickly


Because he's getting ready
Because he is preparing


His reindeer's and his sleigh. So
He is getting his reindeer and sleigh ready




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COOTS, J / GILLESPIE, HAVEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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