Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – English Lyrics

• By: John Legend

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the heartfelt message of peace and unity in "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," beautifully covered by John Legend. Originally written by John Lennon, this song offers a unique blend of holiday spirit and a powerful anti-war statement. By exploring its creation and meaning, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the song's call for personal responsibility and global harmony, making it a meaningful addition to your language learning journey.

[English]

- [John] Happy Christmas, Luna.

- [Chrissy] Happy Christmas, Miles.

- [Child] Happy Christmas, Daddy and Mommy.

♪ So this is Christmas ♪

♪ And what have you done ♪

♪ Another year over ♪

♪ And a new one just begun ♪

♪ And so this is Christmas ♪

♪ Hope you have fun ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ So this is Christmas ♪

♪ For weak and for strong ♪

♪ For rich and the poor ones ♪

♪ War is so long ♪

♪ And so Happy Christmas ♪

♪ For black and for white ♪

♪ For yellow and red ones ♪

♪ Let's stop all the fight ♪

♪ 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 we have we done ♪

♪ Another year over ♪

♪ A new one just begun ♪

♪ Oh, and so Happy Christmas ♪

♪ We hope you have fun ♪

♪ The near and the dear ones ♪

♪ The old and the young ♪

♪ A very Merry Christmas ♪

♪ Merry, Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ And a Happy New Year ♪

♪ All around the world ♪

♪ Let's hope it's a good one ♪

♪ Without any fear ♪

♪ Whoa ♪

♪ War is over ♪

♪ The war is over ♪ ♪ If you want it ♪

♪ War is over ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ Celebrate Christmas ♪

♪ Yes, celebrate love ♪

♪ Celebrate peace, whoa ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ War is over ♪

♪ If you want it ♪

♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ War is over ♪

♪ And so this is Christmas ♪

♪ And what have we done ♪

(people cheering and applauding)

- [Child] Happy Christmas!

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
hope /hoʊp/ A1	verb - to want something to happen or be true noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
celebrate /ˈsɛləbreɪt/ A2	verb - to observe a notable occasion with festivities
peace /pis/ A1	noun - freedom from disturbance; tranquility
war /wɔr/ A1	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or groups
over /ˈoʊvər/ A1	adjective - having come to an end
stop /stɒp/ A1	verb - to come to an end; cease
fight /faɪt/ A1	verb - to take part in a physical conflict noun - a violent confrontation
rich /rɪtʃ/ A1	adjective - having a great deal of money or assets
poor /pʊər/ A1	adjective - lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable
black /blæk/ A1	adjective - of the darkest color
white /waɪt/ A1	adjective - of the lightest color
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep affection verb - to have a deep affection for
year /jɪr/ A1	noun - a period of 365 or 366 days
fear /fɪr/ A1	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous

Key Grammar Structures

• Happy Christmas, Luna.

  ➔ Imperative + Direct Address

  ➔ The sentence starts with an **imperative** ("Happy") expressing a wish, followed by a **direct address** ("Luna") to the person being wished.

• And what have you done

  ➔ Present Perfect + Interrogative

  ➔ Uses the **present perfect** tense ("have done") in an **interrogative** sentence structure to ask about actions completed up to the present.

• Another year over

  ➔ Adjective + Prepositional Phrase (implied verb "is")

  ➔ This phrase acts as a concise description. "Over" is used as a preposition or adverb modifying "year," and the verb "is" is implied ("Another year is over").

• And a new one just begun

  ➔ Past Participle (begun) + Adverb (just)

  ➔ Uses the past participle "begun" to describe the state of something that has started, and the adverb "just" to emphasize the recentness of the beginning.

• Let's hope it's a good one

  ➔ Imperative (Let's) + Subjunctive Mood (implied "that")

  ➔ Uses the **imperative** form "Let's" (Let us) to make a suggestion or express a wish, and the **subjunctive mood** (implied by the wish, and often using "that" before the clause, but here omitted) to express the hope for a positive outcome.

• War is so long

  ➔ Linking Verb (is) + Adjective (long) + Intensifier (so)

  ➔ Uses the linking verb "is" to connect the subject "War" to the adjective "long." The intensifier "so" emphasizes the length and perceived duration of the war.

• Let's stop all the fight

  ➔ Imperative (Let's) + Infinitive verb

  ➔ Uses the imperative form "Let's" which is followed by an infinitive verb. The phrase suggests a collective action to end conflict.

• War is over

  ➔ Linking Verb (is) + Adverbial Phrase (over)

  ➔ A simple declarative sentence with the linking verb "is" connecting the subject "War" to the adverb "over," expressing the completion or end of the war.

• If you want it

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Type 1)

  ➔ A type 1 conditional clause, expressing a real or likely situation. It states that war's ending depends on the desire of the listener.