Christmas
The Kinks Lyrics


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When I was small I believed in Santa Claus
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at Christmas
Open my presents and I'd be glad

But the last time I played Father Christmas
I stood outside a department store
A gang of kids came over and mugged me
And knocked my reindeer to the floor

They said
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Don't give my brother a Steve Austin outfit
Don't give my sister a cuddly toy
We don't want a jigsaw or monopoly money
We only want the real mccoy

Father Christmas, give us some money
We'll beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys

But give my daddy a job 'cause he needs one
He's got lots of mouths to feed
But if you've got one I'll have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids on the street

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Have yourself a merry merry Christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin'
While you're drinkin' down your wine

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Father Christmas, please hand it over
We'll beat you up so don't make us annoyed

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over




We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Overall Meaning

The Kinks' song "Father Christmas" is a cynical twist on the holiday season, as it tells the story of a department store Father Christmas who is mugged by a group of kids. The singer of the song, who used to believe in Santa Claus but now knows it's just his dad, has taken on the role of Father Christmas for a bit of extra cash. However, he quickly regrets it when he is confronted by a gang of kids who demand money instead of toys. They dismiss the gifts he has to offer as "silly toys" and demand that he give all the toys to the little rich boys instead. The song ends on a sobering note, reminding listeners to remember those who are less fortunate during the festive season.


Line by Line Meaning

When I was small I believed in Santa Claus
As a child, I had the innocence to believe in mythical Santa Claus.


Though I knew it was my dad
I was aware that it was actually my dad playing the role of Santa Claus.


And I would hang up my stocking at Christmas
During Christmas, I would put up my stocking hoping to receive small gifts.


Open my presents and I'd be glad
I was filled with joy every time I opened my presents on Christmas.


But the last time I played Father Christmas
The last time I acted as Saint Nicholas,


I stood outside a department store
I was standing outside a shopping complex.


A gang of kids came over and mugged me
A group of children approached me and robbed me.


And knocked my reindeer to the floor
They even knocked over the stuffed reindeer I was holding.


Father Christmas, give us some money
Addressing me as Father Christmas, they demanded money.


Don't mess around with those silly toys
They ordered me not to bother giving them toys.


We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
They warned me of violence if I didn't comply with their request.


We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
They wanted money from me and asked me not to irk them.


Give all the toys to the little rich boys
They demanded all the toys be given to children who were well-off.


Don't give my brother a Steve Austin outfit
They told me not to give a Steve Austin dress to my brother.


Don't give my sister a cuddly toy
They ordered me not to give a soft toy to my sister.


We don't want a jigsaw or monopoly money
They didn't want to receive a jigsaw puzzle or play money.


We only want the real mccoy
They wanted real money instead of toys and playthings.


But give my daddy a job 'cause he needs one
They asked me to provide a job to their father since he was jobless.


He's got lots of mouths to feed
They explained how their dad had a big family to take care of.


But if you've got one I'll have a machine gun
They went to the extent of threatening me with a machine gun if I didn't fulfill their wishes.


So I can scare all the kids on the street
They planned on using the machine gun to intimidate other kids living in the same street.


Have yourself a merry merry Christmas
Wish yourself a happy and joyful Christmas.


Have yourself a good time
Enjoy yourself during this festive season.


But remember the kids who got nothin'
Don't forget the children who don't receive any gifts during Christmas.


While you're drinkin' down your wine
While you are enjoying your wine.


Father Christmas, please hand it over
They again requested Father Christmas to give them money.


We'll beat you up so don't make us annoyed
They insisted that they would beat him up if he didn't comply.




Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAY DAVIES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Nathan McKenna

Father Christmas
The Kinks
LYRICS
When I was small I believed in Santa Claus
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at Christmas
Open my presents and I'd be glad
But the last time I played Father Christmas
I stood outside a department store
A gang of kids came over and mugged me
And knocked my reindeer to the floor

They said
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Don't give my brother a Steve Austin outfit
Don't give my sister a cuddly toy
We don't want a jigsaw or monopoly money
We only want the real mccoy

Father Christmas, give us some money
We'll beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don't mess around with those silly toys

But give my daddy a job 'cause he needs one
He's got lots of mouths to feed
But if you've got one I'll have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids on the street

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Have yourself a merry merry Christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin'
While you're drinkin' down your wine

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Father Christmas, please hand it over
We'll beat you up so don't make us annoyed
Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys



All comments from YouTube:

solidsnakeisme

The greatest Christmas song ever. Not only is it punk but it's actually got a really nice meaning behind it.

MrGoldenthroat

I agree! Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys is another great Christmas song!

Noah 2606

it's the second best for me behind making Christmas from Nightmare before Christmas

Duke Craig

Problem with that is The Kinks were too good to be considered Punk, they all knew how to play their instruments.

Nick Hill

@Duke Craig
Wow somehow I forgot this song and it just popped up on my recommendations.
I'm glad it did and you're absolutely right.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Duke Craig

@Nick Hill
Merry Christmas there St. NickπŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…

132 More Replies...

Miles Archer

My 12 year old son's favourite Christmas song. I am so lucky to have a son with such great taste in music πŸ˜ƒ

fernmann7

You can take credit

A Montgomery

This sums it all up: "Have yourself a Merry Merry Christmas, have yourself a good time, but remember the kids who got nothing, while you're drinking down your wine".
Thank you Ray for writing one of the best Christmas songs EVER!

bill shea

Allen Montgomery WOW! What a classic I LOVE this song and have yourself a MERRY CHRISTMAS too..

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