Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band 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 lyrics to The Jim Cullum Jazz Band's "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" is a happy and hopeful song which tells the story of a person who went on a lovely trip along the Milky Way and took the opportunity to visit the North Pole to spend his holiday over there. There, he visited Santa Claus himself, and got to know about his plans in his workshop. The song then transitions into the famous chorus which warns listeners to watch out, not cry, and not to pout as Santa Claus is coming to town. He is making a list, checking it twice, and will find out who is naughty and who is nice. The song ends with the promise that Santa Claus is going to make children's' wishes come true by building a Toyland all around the Christmas tree.


The lyrics are based essentially on a very popular Christmas tradition deeply rooted in Western culture. Santa Claus's arrival during Christmas is often projected as a magical moment that children look forward to. The lyrics convey this as well and tell a joyous tale of Santa bringing presents to children who have been good throughout the year. The song's upbeat tempo and cheerful tune make it a perfect choice to get into the holiday spirit.


Line by Line Meaning

I just came back from a lovely trip along the Milky Way
I went on a wonderful journey through space and returned home


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


I called on dear old Santa Claus
I met with Santa Claus


To see what I could see
To observe what was happening


He took me to his workshop
He showed me around his factory


And told his plans to me, so
He shared his intentions with me


You better watch out, you better not cry
You should be careful and not cry


Better not pout, I'm telling you why
You shouldn't be sulky because I'll explain the reason


Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa Claus is arriving


He's making a list and checking it twice
He's creating a register and verifying it twice


Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Going to determine who's good and bad


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


He knows when you're a wake
He knows when you're conscious


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


So be good for goodness sake
Therefore, be good just to be good


With little tin horns and little toy drums
Using small tin horns and toy drums


Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Playing rhythmic and musical sounds


And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
And dolls with curly hair that walk and make sounds


Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Also toy elephants, boats, and cars for children


Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
Then children everywhere will be very happy


They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
They will create a magical place full of toys around the Christmas tree


Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play
Currently, Santa has no time for recreation since he's very busy


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


You'd better write your letter now
You should write a letter as soon as possible


And mail it right away
And send it immediately in the post


Because he's getting ready
Because he's preparing himself


His reindeer's and his sleigh. So
And his reindeer and sleigh are also being prepared. So




Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Coots, Haven Gillespie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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