Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – English Lyrics

• By: John Lennon, Yoko Ono
• Album: Imagine

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic way to connect with a new culture, and 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' offers a special opportunity. The song's lyrics are clear and repetitive, making it easier for learners to pick up key phrases and vocabulary. Beyond the language, this song provides a window into the peace movement of the 1970s and the powerful idea that individuals can bring about change. Its universal message of hope and peace transcends borders and makes it a timeless piece to learn and understand.

[English]

Happy Christmas, Kyoko

Happy Christmas, Julian

So, this is Christmas

And what have you done?

Another year over

And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas

I hope you had fun

The near and the dear ones

The old and the young

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so, this is Christmas

For weak and for strong

The rich and the poor ones

The road is so long

And so, happy Christmas

For black and for white

For yellow and red ones

Let's stop all the fights

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas

And what have we done?

Another year over

And a new one just begun

And so happy Christmas

We hope you have fun

The near and the dear ones

The old and the young

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

War is over, if you want it

War is over, now

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas

Okay

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
Christmas /ˈkrɪsməs/ A1	noun - the annual Christian festival celebrating Christ's birth, held on December 25
year /jɪər/ A1	noun - the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun
new /njuː/ A1	adjective - recently made, invented, or developed
fun /fʌn/ A2	noun - enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure
dear /dɪər/ B1	adjective - regarded with deep affection; cherished
old /əʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time; no longer young
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - to be desired or approved of
fear /fɪər/ B1	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the perception of danger, real or imagined
weak /wiːk/ B1	adjective - lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks
strong /strɒŋ/ A2	adjective - having the power to move heavy weights or perform physically demanding tasks
rich /rɪtʃ/ A2	adjective - having a great deal of money or assets; wealthy
poor /pɔːr/ A2	adjective - having very little money or few possessions; not rich
road /rəʊd/ A1	noun - a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface which vehicles can use
long /lɒŋ/ A1	adjective - measuring a great distance from end to end
black /blæk/ A1	adjective - of the darkest color or shade; without light
white /waɪt/ A1	adjective - of the color of milk or fresh snow, due to the reflection of all visible rays of light; the opposite of black.
fight /faɪt/ B1	verb - take part in a violent struggle involving physical force or weapons.
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country.

Key Grammar Structures

• And what have you done?

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense (Interrogative)

  ➔ Uses the auxiliary verb "have" + past participle "done" to inquire about actions completed in the past up to the present moment. It emphasizes the result or relevance of the action now. "What" functions as the interrogative pronoun.

• Another year over

  ➔ Ellipsis (omission of words)

  ➔ The phrase is a shortened version of "Another year is over". The verb "is" is omitted for brevity and a more conversational tone. This is common in informal speech and song lyrics. The full sentence would be: "Another year is over".

• Let's hope it's a good one

  ➔ Imperative mood (suggestion) + Subjunctive mood (hope)

  ➔ "Let's hope" is an imperative sentence expressing a suggestion or encouragement. "It's a good one" uses a simplified form, short for "It is a good one," and implicitly expresses a wish or hope, thus functioning somewhat like the subjunctive mood in other languages. It expresses a desired outcome.

• Without any fear

  ➔ Prepositional phrase with a negative determiner

  ➔ "Without" is a preposition, and "any" is a negative determiner modifying the noun "fear". The phrase describes a state of being free from fear. "Any" emphasizes the absence of fear.

• The road is so long

  ➔ Adverb of degree ("so") modifying an adjective ("long")

  ➔ The adverb "so" intensifies the adjective "long", emphasizing the length or difficulty of the journey or path. It highlights that the road is very long. It expresses a higher degree of the adjective.

• War is over, if you want it

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Zero Conditional)

  ➔ This expresses a general truth or a real possibility dependent on a condition. The structure is "if + present simple, present simple". "If you want it" sets the condition for the war being over. Note the simple present is used in both clauses to emphasize the direct causal relationship.