Merry Christmas from the Family
The Chicks Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk
At our Christmas party
We were drinkin' champagne punch and home-made eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn't know what to think of him
Till he sang "Feliz Navidad"
"Feliz Navidad"

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife, Lynn
And the two identical twins from his second wife, Mary-Nell
He also brought his third wife, Kay
Who talks all about AA
Chainsmokin', while the stereo plays
Noel Noel, The First Noel

[chorus]
Carve the turkey, turn the ballgame on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the QuicPac store
We need some ice and an extension cord
A can of bean dip and some some Diet Rites
A box of tampons and some Marlboro Lights
Hallelujah, everybody say, "cheese!"
Merry Christmas from the family

Fred and Rita drove from Harlejin
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motorhome in
They blew our Christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw the breaker
And the lights came on
And we sang "Silent Night"
Oh, "Silent Night"

Carve the turkey, turn the ballgame on
Mix Bloody Marys cause we all want one
Send somebody to the Stop N' Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of corn-nuts and some Diet Sprites
A box of tampons and some Salem Lights
Hallelujah, everybody say, "cheese!"
Merry Christmas from the family





Feliz Navidad

Overall Meaning

The Chicks song "Merry Christmas from the Family" is a humorous and satirical ode to the chaos and dysfunction that can accompany holiday festivities with family members. The lyrics depict a gathering where Mom and Dad get drunk, Little sister brings her new Mexican boyfriend, and Brother Ken brings his third wife Kay, who incessantly talks about AA and chainsmokes. The chorus highlights the absurdity of the situation as the family needs a range of objects such as an extension cord, tampons, and Marlboro Lights. The song ends as Cousin David fixes the Christmas lights while everyone sings "Silent Night."


The song paints a vivid picture of a family Christmas party where things don't go as planned. It showcases the struggles and quirks that come with family gatherings and the absurd requests and needs that arise during the festivities. The inclusion of different family members and their spouses also emphasizes the diversity and complexity of modern families.


One interesting aspect of the song is that it was originally written by Robert Earl Keen Jr. and appears on his 1994 album "Gringo Honeymoon." The Chicks covered the song and included it on their 2000 album "A Very Chicks Christmas." The song has gained popularity over the years and has become a satirical anthem for many during the holiday season. Another interesting fact is that the Little sister's Mexican boyfriend singing "Feliz Navidad" is an obvious nod to the popular Christmas song of the same name by Puerto Rican singer Jose Feliciano.


Overall, "Merry Christmas from the Family" is a hilarious and entertaining ode to the realities of family gatherings during the holidays. It captures the craziness and chaos while still conveying the love and warmth that comes with being with family during the festive season.


Chords: G, C, D for the verses, with a G-D-C-G chord progression for the chorus.


Line by Line Meaning

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk
At our Christmas party, both my mother and father consumed too much alcohol and were inebriated


We were drinkin' champagne punch and home-made eggnog
The beverages served at the party were a mixture of champagne punch and homemade eggnog


Little sister brought her new boyfriend
My younger sibling brought their significant other to the celebration


He was a Mexican
The individual my sibling brought was of Mexican decent


We didn't know what to think of him
The attendees at the party were uncertain of what to make of my sibling's significant other, presumably due to their ethnicity


Till he sang 'Feliz Navidad'
However, once he sang 'Feliz Navidad', a Spanish Christmas song, everyone became more comfortable and accepting of his presence


Brother Ken brought his kids with him
My Brother, Ken, arrived at the party with his children


The three from his first wife, Lynn
He had three children from his previous marriage to a woman named Lynn


And the two identical twins from his second wife, Mary-Nell
And he had two identical twin children from his current wife, Mary-Nell


He also brought his third wife, Kay
Ken has been married three times and his third wife, Kay, was also present at the party


Who talks all about AA
Kay freely discussed her involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) with the other guests


Chainsmokin', while the stereo plays
As the party continued, Kay chain-smoked cigarettes and songs played through the stereo system


Noel Noel, The First Noel
One of the Christmas songs played was 'The First Noel', wherein the chorus uses the word 'noel'


Carve the turkey, turn the ballgame on
In the midst of the party, we carved the turkey and turned on the television to enjoy a Christmas day football game


Mix margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Once the eggnog ran out, we switched to mixing margaritas to continue the festivities


Send somebody to the QuikPac store
We needed more supplies, so someone was sent to the nearby QuikPac store


We need some ice and an extension cord
Specifically, we required an extension cord and a bag of ice


A can of bean dip and some some Diet Rites
We also needed a can of bean dip and some Diet Rite soda


A box of tampons and some Marlboro lights
Additionally, we required a box of tampons and some Marlboro Lights cigarettes


Hallelujah, everybody say, 'cheese!'
In good spirits, we gathered together and shouted 'cheese!' for a group photo


Merry Christmas from the family
Overall, despite the chaos and unconventional moments, we wished each other a Merry Christmas as a family


Fred and Rita drove from Harlejin
Two individuals named Fred and Rita made the drive from Harlejin to attend the party


I can't remember how I'm kin to them
Unfortunately, I was unsure of my relation to them


But when they tried to plug their motorhome in
At some point, Fred and Rita attempted to plug in their motorhome to an outlet


They blew our Christmas lights
However, in doing so, they ended up tripping the breaker and the Christmas lights went out


Cousin David knew just what went wrong
Luckily, my cousin David was knowledgeable on the electrical issue and was able to quickly fix things


So we all waited out on our front lawn
While David resolved the problem, the rest of us gathered outside on the lawn and chatted


He threw the breaker
David fixed the situation by simply flipping the circuit breaker switch


And the lights came on
Once the breaker was flipped, the Christmas lights illuminated once again


And we sang 'Silent Night'
To celebrate the restoration of our beloved Christmas lights, we all sang 'Silent Night'


Mix Bloody Marys cause we all want one
After the incident with the motorhome, we decided to switch from margaritas to Bloody Marys


Send somebody to the Stop N' Go
We needed to make another trip to the store, this time to the Stop N' Go


We need some celery and a can of fake snow
Our list of needed items included celery and some artificial snow


A bag of corn-nuts and some Diet Sprites
Additionally, we required a bag of corn-nuts and some Diet Sprite soda


A box of tampons and some Salem Lights
And once more, we needed a box of tampons and some Salem Lights cigarettes


Hallelujah, everybody say, 'cheese!'
We once again gathered together for a group photo, shouting 'cheese!'


Merry Christmas from the family
And again, we wished each other a Merry Christmas as a family, despite the various oddities of the day


Feliz Navidad
Once more, we close with a shout of 'Feliz Navidad', bridging the divide between various races, cultures, and ethnicities in celebration of this special time of year




Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Carron HoopsAlot

My favorite Christmas song! Great job πŸ‘πŸ˜Šβ€οΈ

Jennifer Wheaton

friggin' brilliant. Love the Dixie Chicks. Pure Genius.

aunt becky

I love this song because it so reminds me of my christmases growing up.

Tiffany Carter

I'm picturing so many family Christmases with my dad's family.

dixiekat2007

Great video. Natalie and Rosie are so good together. I like this song by The Dixie Chicks and Rosie O' Donnell better. It is so good. Thanks for making!

Madison Swan

i play this every christmas still cause i cant find this version anywhere else, it was on an xmas cd my mom used to play

Tryna Schuster

How is this not on spotify!!!

aunt becky

It reminds me of Christmas at my grandmother's.

Jennifer Wheaton

they've got every right.... and what's better is that they were right after all!

tom daszkiewicz

i send this song to my family in north carolina and maine every xmas...

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