Can't Stop Christmas – English Lyrics

• By: Robbie Williams

Lyrics & Translation

"Can't Stop Christmas" by Robbie Williams offers a unique glimpse into English communication during the 2020 pandemic, blending festive cheer with contemporary references to lockdowns and social distancing. Through its witty and relatable lyrics, you can explore modern colloquialisms and understand how humor was used to navigate a challenging global event, making it an engaging and culturally relevant song for language learners.

[English]

Oh, what a miserable year

But what a time to be alive

Sadly some friends disappeared

It's never been like this before

It feels like we're at war

So I wonder who's gonna decide

If we can do the Auld Lang Syne

I wish that I could do what I like

With this family of mine

We're going out of our minds

So what are we to do

About your FaceTimes and your Zooms?

There's a room inside my mind

And it's always here for you

Nothing's gonna stop Christmas

No chance

You can't take away our season

Like you can't take away the wine

Santa's on his sleigh

But now he's two metres away

The people gonna need something to believe in

After a year of being in

We've got a wish list

You can't stop Christmas time

If you're wondering what I'd like

Socks and sanitiser will do fine

I guess you do your shopping online

The high street lights are out

There's nobody about

So where will we all be

Come this time next year?

I know you'll be with me

And I'll be here

Nothing's gonna take Christmas

You can't take away our season

Like you can't take away the wine

Santa's on his sleigh

But now he's two metres away

The people gonna need something to believe in

After a year of being in

We've got a wish list

You can't stop Christmas

Why, oh why are we all waiting?

The whole damn world anticipating

Beyond boredom past frustration

The planet's locked in what ifs and maybes

You can't take away our season

Like you can't take away the wine

Let's lie to Santa Claus

Tell him it's 1984

The people gonna need something to believe in

After a year of being in

We've all missed this

So here's our wish list

You can't stop Christmas time

Key Grammar Structures

• It feels like we're at war

  ➔ Present simple tense with 'like' for comparison

  ➔ The phrase 'It feels like' is used to compare the current situation to being at war, emphasizing the speaker's perception.

• So I wonder who's gonna decide

  ➔ Present continuous with 'gonna' for future intention

  ➔ 'Gonna' is a colloquial contraction of 'going to,' used here to express future intention in a casual manner.

• There's a room inside my mind

  ➔ Present simple with 'there is' for existence

  ➔ 'There's' is a contraction of 'there is,' used to indicate the existence of something, in this case, a metaphorical room inside the mind.

• Nothing's gonna stop Christmas

  ➔ Contraction with 'gonna' and negative form

  ➔ 'Nothing's' is a contraction of 'nothing is,' and 'gonna' is used to express future intention, creating a strong statement about Christmas.

• Santa's on his sleigh

  ➔ Present simple with apostrophe for possession

  ➔ The apostrophe in 'Santa's' indicates possession, showing that the sleigh belongs to Santa.

• The people gonna need something to believe in

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement with 'gonna' for future need

  ➔ The verb 'gonna' agrees with the plural subject 'The people,' indicating a future need for something to believe in.

• We've got a wish list

  ➔ Present perfect with 'have got' for possession

  ➔ 'We've got' is the present perfect form of 'have got,' used to indicate possession of a wish list.

• You can't take away our season

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' for inability

  ➔ 'Can't' is a modal verb used to express inability, emphasizing that the season cannot be taken away.