Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy
The Tractors Lyrics


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[Chorus]
Well, Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him
It's not the way I had him pictured
Santa was much too thin
He didn't come down the chimney
So mama must have let him in
Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him

Well, they thought I was fast a sleepin'
They thought that I was tucked in bed
They never thought I'd come a peepin'
Or that I'd hear what was said

Santa put his arm around mama
And mama put her arm around him
So if Santa Claus ain't daddy
Then I'm a gonna tell on him

[Chorus]

I never saw Dancer or Prancer
I never heard the sleigh bells ring
I never saw the red nosed reindeer
Like they show on the TV screen
But he sure brought a lot presents
So Santa Claus he must have been
Well, he sure looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him.

[Chorus: x2]





Santa looked a lot like daddy
Or daddy looked a lot like him

Overall Meaning

The Tractors's song "Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy" is a fun and playful Christmas tune that talks about a child who catches his mother cheating on his father with Santa Claus. The chorus of the song repeats the idea that Santa looked a lot like his daddy, implying that he may have been a disguised version of his father. The child hears his mother and Santa talking and sees them embracing each other, which causes confusion since he was expecting the classic image of Santa Claus.


The first verse sets the scene where the child is pretending to be asleep while his parents are in the living room with Santa Claus. He takes a peek to see Santa and finds that Santa looked nothing like the jolly man he saw on the TV screen. The verse also implies that Santa didn't come down the chimney to deliver presents, but his mother may have let him in.


The second verse is where the child discovers Santa and his mother embracing, indicating that Santa may be his father in disguise. The child never saw any of the traditional Christmas characters like Dancer, Prancer, and the red-nosed reindeer but received many presents from Santa. The child concludes that Santa must have been his father as they looked so alike.


Overall, The Tractors's song "Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy" is a tongue-in-cheek take on the traditional Santa Claus character, turning him into a not-so-perfect human being who has a particular interest in other people's wives.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, Santa looked a lot like daddy
The physical resemblance between Santa and the singer's father was striking


Or daddy looked a lot like him
Alternatively, the singer's father resembled Santa in appearance


It's not the way I had him pictured
The singer had a different mental image of Santa Claus in their head


Santa was much too thin
The artist expected Santa to be a heavierset man


He didn't come down the chimney
Santa did not arrive by the traditional route of entering through the chimney


So mama must have let him in
The singer assumes that their mother allowed Santa into the house through another means of entry


Well, they thought I was fast a sleepin'
Others believed the singer was already soundly asleep


They thought that I was tucked in bed
Others believed the artist was already asleep and safely in bed


They never thought I'd come a peepin'
Others did not expect the artist to secretly sneak a peek at what was happening


Or that I'd hear what was said
Others did not expect the artist to overhear the conversation


Santa put his arm around mama
Santa physically embraced the singer's mother


And mama put her arm around him
The artist's mother returned Santa's physical embrace


So if Santa Claus ain't daddy
If Santa is not actually the singer's father in disguise


Then I'm a gonna tell on him
The singer will reveal the truth about Santa's identity if it is not actually their father


I never saw Dancer or Prancer
The singer did not witness the reindeer mentioned in Christmas stories


I never heard the sleigh bells ring
The artist did not hear the traditional sound of sleigh bells associated with Santa Claus


I never saw the red-nosed reindeer
The artist did not see the legendary Rudolph


Like they show on the TV screen
The singer's perceptions of Santa Claus were shaped by media portrayals


But he sure brought a lot of presents
Regardless of his appearance or means of entry, Santa delivered many gifts


So Santa Claus he must have been
The artist believes that the gift-giver was indeed Santa Claus


Or daddy looked a lot like him.
Alternatively, the artist believes that their father was masquerading as Santa Claus


Santa looked a lot like daddy
The similarity between Santa and the artist's father is emphasized once more


Or daddy looked a lot like him
Alternatively, it is underscored once again that the father looked like Santa




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buck Owens, Don Rich

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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