At Christmas – English Lyrics

• By: Kylie Minogue

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the festive yet melancholic charm of Kylie Minogue's "At Christmas." This song offers a beautiful opportunity to learn English through its expressive lyrics, exploring themes of love, loss, and holiday nostalgia. Its clear pronunciation and relatable narrative make it a special and engaging piece for language learners to connect with emotionally while expanding their vocabulary.

[English]

Mhm

Last December when we were together

I remember prayin' it was forever

Didn't know

Like the snow

Our love would melt away

Spring went by and then the summer started

Mid-July I was still broken-hearted

Autumn leaves have left the trees

But these feelings still remain

Seems I'm not forgetting you

As quickly as I wanted to

Now winter's on its way

Yeah, at Christmas I can't help but miss you

The memories of you and me, evergreen

It's a time of joy but for me it's bittersweet

At Christmas I'm still reminiscing

'Bout everything we used to be, c'est la vie

Yeah, I spent all year wishing you were here at Christmas

...

I know moving on is never easy

Wish my heart could change like the seasons

Someone send a happy end

To my winter's tale

Now I'm building me a great big snowman

When I hold him we'll be two hearts frozen

All along I'll keep him cold

To make sure that he stays

I am trying my very best

But now I face the hardest test

As I've no festive cheer

Yeah, at Christmas I can't help but miss you

The memories of you and me, evergreen

It's a time of joy but for me it's bittersweet

At Christmas I'm still reminiscing

'Bout everything we used to be, c'est la vie

Yeah, I spent all year wishing you were here at

Can't help but think about you when I'm all alone

Each time I hear Sinatra on my radio

I'd be in Christmas Heaven

If only you were present

Maybe you're somewhere out there on your way to me

Yeah, at Christmas I can't help but miss you

The memories of you and me, evergreen

It's a time of joy but for me it's bittersweet

At Christmas I'm still reminiscing

'Bout everything we used to be, c'est la vie

Yeah, I spent all year wishing you were here at Christmas

Oh, at Christmas

Oh, oh, oh

Ooh

Yeah, I spent all year wishing you were here at Christmas

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
remember /rɪˈmembər/ A1	verb - to recall to the mind
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for
melt /melt/ B1	verb - to change from a solid to a liquid
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood
leaves /liːvz/ A1	noun - plural of leaf; flattened green structures of a plant
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ A2	noun - an emotional state or reaction
miss /mɪs/ A2	verb - to feel the absence of someone or something
memories /ˈmeməriz/ B1	noun - something remembered from the past
evergreen /ˈevərɡriːn/ B2	adjective - having green leaves throughout the year
joy /dʒɔɪ/ B1	noun - a feeling of great pleasure and happiness
bittersweet /ˌbɪtərˈswiːt/ B2	adjective - arousing pleasure mingled with pain or regret
wishing /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/ A2	verb - feeling or expressing a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable
easy /ˈiːzi/ A1	adjective - achieved without great effort; presenting no difficulties
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	verb - to make or become different
snowman /ˈsnoʊmæn/ A2	noun - a figure of a person made of packed snow
frozen /ˈfroʊzn/ B1	adjective - turned into ice; subjected to extreme cold
festive /ˈfestɪv/ B2	adjective - relating to or characteristic of a festival
cheer /tʃɪr/ B1	noun - happiness
heaven /ˈhevən/ B1	noun - the abode of God
present /ˈpreznt/ A2	adjective - being in a particular place

Key Grammar Structures

• Last December when we were together I remember prayin' it was forever.

  ➔ Past Continuous with 'when' clause; Gerund ('prayin')

  ➔ Using the Past Continuous "were together" describes an action happening at a specific time in the past. The gerund "prayin'" functions as the object of the verb "remember".

• Like the snow, our love would melt away

  ➔ Conditional ('would') in hypothetical past situations.

  ➔ "would melt away" describes what the speaker imagines could/would happen. It's not a real conditional sentence, but uses "would" to express the idea of how fragile the love was.

• Seems I'm not forgetting you as quickly as I wanted to

  ➔ Comparison ('as...as') with adverb ('quickly'); 'Wanted to' (elliptical clause)

  ➔ The phrase "as quickly as I wanted to" compares the actual speed of forgetting to the desired speed. 'Wanted to' is short for 'wanted to forget you'.

• At Christmas I can't help but miss you.

  ➔ 'Can't help but' structure expressing inevitability.

  ➔ 'Can't help but miss you' means the speaker inevitably misses the person, despite any effort to avoid it. It suggests a strong, uncontrollable feeling.

• It's a time of joy but for me it's bittersweet.

  ➔ Contrast with 'but' showing contrasting emotions.

  ➔ The word "but" connects two contrasting ideas: the general joy of Christmas and the speaker's personal feeling of being bittersweet.

• Wish my heart could change like the seasons.

  ➔ Subjunctive mood ('could') expressing a wish.

  ➔ The use of "could" indicates that the speaker's heart changing like the seasons is not a reality, but a wish or a hypothetical situation.

• When I hold him we'll be two hearts frozen.

  ➔ Future simple ('will be') in a 'when' clause.

  ➔ The 'when' clause sets the condition for the future action. 'We'll be two hearts frozen' is the predicted outcome of 'When I hold him'.

• All along I'll keep him cold to make sure that he stays.

  ➔ Future simple ('I'll keep'); 'To make sure that' clause (purpose).

  ➔ "I'll keep him cold" expresses a future intention. "To make sure that he stays" is a purpose clause explaining why the subject will keep him cold.