IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME – English Lyrics

• By: Macklemore, Dan Caplen

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the festive spirit with Macklemore and Dan Caplen's "IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME," a modern holiday classic rich with vivid imagery and relatable experiences. Through its blend of heartfelt rap and soulful pop, you can explore everyday English expressions related to family traditions, winter activities, and the joy of the holiday season. The song's clear narrative and nostalgic lyrics offer an engaging way to connect with the language while celebrating Christmas magic.

[English]

Oh, I wish it was '99, when I was a kid at Christmas time

Couldn't go to bed that night

Santa Claus sliding, snow in the driveway

Under the lit up Christmas tree, with my crazy ass family

Singing, "Oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"

Wish I was a kid at Christmas again

Fill up the gas in the SUV

Spent way too much time tryna pick out our tree

The ceiling ain't as tall as we thought, I see

Gotta cut a couple inches off the top to proceed

And now we stringing the lights up

Five hours later, we stringing the lights up

Listenin' to Bing Crosby by the fire

Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Mariah

Turn off that Michael Bublé

Turn on that one movie about the kid who

Licked the telephone pole on the Blu-ray

Red Ryder BB-Gun, stayin' up all night

Jimmy Stewart, It's A Wonderful Life, now am I right?

The collar's puffy, the beard is long

The belly's tubby, but the reindeer are strong

It's Santa Claus

It's Christmas time!

Oh, I wish it was '99, when I was a kid at Christmas time

Couldn't go to bed that night

Santa Claus sliding, snow in the driveway

Under the lit up Christmas tree, with my crazy ass family

Singing, "Oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"

Wish I was a kid at Christmas again

Now, I wrap presents like a kid wearing mittens

Blindfolded, with a pair of left-handed scissors

Janky, but the gift inside? Ridiculous

Better than whatever it is you had on your wishlist

Dig in then whip up the Bisquick

Go outside, and throw 'round the pigskin

I'm a dad now, but still feel like a big kid

Best time of year, can I get an "amen"? (Amen)

The Almond Roca, the hottest cocoa

The track around the tree with the locomotives

I wanted a Jordan poster to measure my growth spurt

Starter logo, Georgetown Hoyas

I'm going off of the head, y'all

Homemade cookies that I dip in the eggnog

I wanna take a second, and shoutout my dead dog

Toby, he's dead

Oh, I wish it was '99, when I was a kid at Christmas time

Couldn't go to bed that night

Santa Claus sliding, snow in the driveway

Under the lit up Christmas tree, with my crazy ass family

Singing, "Oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"

Wish I was a kid at Christmas again

Wish it was '99, when I was a kid at Christmas time

Couldn't go to bed that night

Santa Claus sliding, snow in the driveway

Under the lit up Christmas tree, with my crazy ass family

Singing, "Oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"

Wish I was a kid at Christmas

Oh, oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Wish I was a kid at Christmas again

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Christmas /ˈkrɪsməs/ A1	noun - A Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, also widely observed as a cultural event.
kid /kɪd/ A1	noun - A young person; a child.
wish /wɪʃ/ A1	verb - To want something that cannot or may not happen.
family /ˈfæməli/ A1	noun - A group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
tree /triː/ A1	noun - A tall plant with a trunk and branches, often decorated at Christmas.
lights /laɪts/ A1	noun - Devices that produce illumination, often used for decoration.
singing /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/ A1	verb - To produce musical sounds with the voice.
present /ˈprezənt/ A1	noun - A gift given on a special occasion.
snow /snoʊ/ A1	noun - Frozen precipitation in the form of white flakes.
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ A2	adjective - Mentally deranged; wild or unusual.
decorate /ˈdekəreɪt/ A2	verb - To make something look more attractive by adding ornaments.
ridiculous /rɪˈdɪkjələs/ B1	adjective - Deserving or inviting ridicule; absurd.
locomotives /loʊˈkomoʊtɪvz/ B2	noun - Engines used to pull trains.
mittens /ˈmɪtənz/ B1	noun - Glove-like coverings for the hands without individual fingers.
pigskin /ˈpɪɡskɪn/ B2	noun - A football, especially in American English.
eggnog /ˈɛɡˌnɒɡ/ B2	noun - A drink made of milk, eggs, sugar, and often spirits, traditionally consumed at Christmas.

Key Grammar Structures

• Oh, I wish it was '99, when I was a kid at Christmas time

  ➔ Wish + Past Simple (for past state regret/desire)

  ➔ The structure "wish + Past Simple" is used here to express a desire or regret about a past situation or state that is contrary to fact. The speaker wishes the current time *were* 1999.

• Under the lit up Christmas tree, with my crazy ass family

  ➔ Past Participle as an Adjective

  ➔ The past participle phrase "lit up" functions as an adjective, modifying the noun phrase "Christmas tree" and describing its state (illuminated).

• Spent way too much time tryna pick out our tree

  ➔ Spend time + Gerund; Phrasal Verb "pick out"

  ➔ "Spent way too much time tryna pick out" illustrates the common structure "spend time doing something," indicating how time is used. "Tryna" is an informal contraction of "trying to." The phrasal verb "pick out" means to choose or select.

• Gotta cut a couple inches off the top to proceed

  ➔ Informal Modal "Gotta"; Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "Gotta cut" is an informal contraction of "got to cut" or "have to cut," expressing necessity. "To proceed" is an infinitive of purpose, explaining *why* they need to cut the tree (in order to continue or move forward).

• Turn on that one movie about the kid who Licked the telephone pole

  ➔ Relative Clause; Phrasal Verb "turn on"

  ➔ "Who Licked the telephone pole" is a defining relative clause, providing essential information about "the kid." The phrasal verb "Turn on" means to activate or start an electrical device.

• Now, I wrap presents like a kid wearing mittens

  ➔ Present Participle as an Adjective (within a simile)

  ➔ The phrase "wearing mittens" is a present participial phrase acting adjectivally to describe "a kid." The entire phrase "like a kid wearing mittens" forms a simile, comparing the speaker's clumsy wrapping to a child doing it with mittens on.

• Better than whatever it is you had on your wishlist

  ➔ Comparative Adjective; Indefinite Pronoun Phrase

  ➔ "Better than" is a comparative structure, comparing the gift to items on a wishlist. "Whatever it is" is an indefinite pronoun phrase, meaning "anything that it might be" or "no matter what it is."

• I'm going off of the head, y'all

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ The idiom "going off of the head" (or often "off the top of my head") means to improvise, to create or perform spontaneously without preparation or a script. "Y'all" is an informal contraction of "you all."

• I wanna take a second, and shoutout my dead dog

  ➔ Informal "Wanna"; Phrasal Verb "shout out"

  ➔ "Wanna take" is an informal contraction of "want to take." "Shout out" is a phrasal verb meaning to give a public acknowledgment, mention, or express appreciation for someone or something.