After December – English Lyrics

• By: Brooke Alexx

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the festive and hopeful world of Brooke Alexx's "After December"! This catchy pop song is perfect for English learners, offering relatable lyrics about holding onto good feelings and the universal desire for kindness year-round. You'll encounter everyday vocabulary, emotional expressions, and conversational phrasing that will enhance your understanding of contemporary English while getting into the holiday spirit, even 'after December'!

[English]

All year, going through the motions

We get by, oh, we're just coasting

Eyes down, missing every moment

We don't even notice

'Til we're walking down a snowy street

And every window has a Christmas tree

I can feel it in the air

Love is spreading everywhere

Making someone else's day happy in a merry way

I wanna remember

Leading with an open heart

Seeing magic in a spark

Why do we forget so fast?

Wanna make this feeling last

After December

Neighbors helping out just because

They wanna see your cute face light up

Smiling at strangers and doing them favors

Why push it off 'til later?

'Til we're walking down a snowy street (ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ooh)

And every window has a Christmas tree

I can feel it in the air

Love is spreading everywhere

Making someone else's day happy in a merry way

I wanna remember

Leading with an open heart

Seeing magic in a spark

Why do we forget so fast?

Wanna make this feeling last

After December

We, we all got that glow

Don't wanna let it go

Making someone else's day happy in a merry way

I wanna remember

We, we all got that glow

Don't wanna let it go

Why do we forget so fast?

Wanna make this feeling last

After December

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
motion /ˈmoʊʃən/ B1	noun - the action or process of moving or flowing
coasting /ˈkoʊstɪŋ/ B2	verb - to move smoothly without power, typically downhill
missing /ˈmɪsɪŋ/ B1	verb - not having or unable to find something or someone
notice /ˈnoʊtɪs/ A2	verb - to become aware of something
window /ˈwɪndoʊ/ A1	noun - an opening in a wall to let in light and air
Christmas /ˈkrɪsməs/ A2	noun - the annual Christian festival on December 25 celebrating the birth of Jesus
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a feeling of strong affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
remember /rɪˈmɛm.bər/ B1	verb - to bring back to mind; recollect
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood through the body
magic /ˈmædʒɪk/ B2	noun - supernatural power, charm, or magic spell
fast /fæst/ A2	adjective - moving or happening quickly
glow /ɡloʊ/ B2	noun - a steady radiance of light or heat

Key Grammar Structures

• All year, going through the motions

  ➔ Present Participle Clause (Reduced Relative Clause)

  ➔ The phrase "going through the motions" is a present participle clause acting as an adverbial modifier, describing what is happening all year. It's a shortened form of something like "All year, we are going through the motions."

• We get by, oh, we're just coasting

  ➔ Phrasal Verb ("get by"), Present Continuous ("we're coasting") for ongoing action

  ➔ "Get by" is a phrasal verb meaning to manage to survive or live. "We're coasting" uses the present continuous to emphasize that the action of coasting (doing very little) is happening continuously at this time.

• Why do we forget so fast?

  ➔ Present Simple Question Formation

  ➔ This is a simple question using the present simple tense to ask about a general habit or tendency. The auxiliary verb "do" is used to form the question.

• Wanna make this feeling last

  ➔ "Wanna" (Contraction of "want to") + Bare Infinitive

  ➔ "Wanna" is an informal contraction of "want to". It's followed by the bare infinitive "make". It means the speaker desires to make the feeling of love last.

• Neighbors helping out just because

  ➔ Present Participle ("helping") acting as an adjective/reduced relative clause; Ellipsis (omission of words)

  ➔ "Helping" is a present participle modifying "neighbors." This phrase can be considered a reduced relative clause (e.g., "Neighbors who are helping out..."). "Just because" is often followed by an implied "they want to" or similar phrase, an example of ellipsis.

• Making someone else's day happy in a merry way

  ➔ Present Participle Clause (Reduced Relative Clause), "someone else's" (possessive pronoun)

  ➔ "Making someone else's day happy" functions as a reduced relative clause describing how love is spreading. "Someone else's" uses the possessive form to show ownership of the day.

• Don't wanna let it go

  ➔ Negative imperative with "Don't" + "Wanna" (Contraction of "want to") + Bare Infinitive

  ➔ This is a negative command telling someone not to let a positive feeling go. "Don't" is used to form the negative imperative. "Wanna" is followed by a bare infinitive.