It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries – English Lyrics

• By: Carly Rae Jepsen

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS, NO ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS, NO ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS ♪

♪ 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ (HO, HO, HO, HO) ♪

♪ EVERYBODY MADE IT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS EVE ♪

♪ TRIED TO KEEP IT COOL AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE ♪

♪ BUT EVERY YEAR WE SING A LITTLE SONG TO SURVIVE ♪

♪ THAT IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ MY BOYFRIEND IS A VEGAN, SO THEY FED HIM FISH ♪

♪ MY UNCLE MADE IT WORSE BY TALKING POLITICS ♪

♪ I HAD A FEW OPINIONS MIGHT HAVE STARTED A FIGHT ♪

♪ WELL, IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS ♪

♪ 'TIL WE ALL BREAK DOWN IN TEARS ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS ♪

♪ IT'S THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR ♪

♪ GRANDPA ATE THE GUMMIES THAT WE MEANT TO HIDE ♪

♪ WE TRIED TO PLAY IT OFF LIKE IT'S A HOLIDAY HIGH ♪

♪ HE UNWRAPPED ALL THE PRESENTS AND HE RUINED THE SURPRISE ♪

♪ WELL, IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY ♪

♪ BREAKS INTO ARGUMENT ♪

♪ OOH, I USED TO FIGHT IT ♪

♪ WE GET EMOTIONAL TOO ♪

♪ I WON'T DENY IT ♪

♪ I USED TO HIDE IN MY ROOM BUT NOW I LIKE IT ♪

♪ 'CAUSE IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS ♪

♪ 'TIL WE ALL BREAK DOWN IN TEARS ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS ♪

♪ IT'S THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS ♪

♪ ♪

♪ 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ ♪

♪ 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ ♪

♪ WAKING UP TOO EARLY IN MY CHILDHOOD BED ♪

♪ THE NIECES AND THE NEPHEWS JUMPING ON MY HEAD ♪

♪ THEY KEEP ON ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE IS SANTA A LIE ♪

♪ WELL, IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS (HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY) ♪

♪ THE SECRET IS TO SING A LITTLE SONG TO SURVIVE ♪

♪ THAT IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ OH, IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

♪ IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears, usually in response to sadness or pain
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - to take part in a physical or verbal struggle noun - a physical or verbal struggle
break /breɪk/ A2	verb - to separate into pieces verb - to end a relationship
hide /haɪd/ A2	verb - to put or keep out of sight
year /jɪər/ A2	noun - a period of 365 days
time /taɪm/ A2	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence
surprise /səˈpraɪz/ B1	noun - an unexpected event verb - to encounter something unexpected
emotional /ɪˈmoʊʃənəl/ B1	adjective - relating to or expressing emotions
argument /ˈɑːrɡjʊmənt/ B1	noun - an exchange of diverging or opposite views
politics /ˈpɑːlətɪks/ B2	noun - activities associated with governance
vegan /ˈviːɡən/ B2	noun - a person who does not eat or use animal products adjective - relating to veganism
ruined /ˈruːɪnd/ B2	verb - to damage irreparably
question /ˈkwɛstʃən/ B2	noun - a sentence worded or expressed to elicit information
deny /dɪˈnaɪ/ B2	verb - to state that something is not true
childhood /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/ B2	noun - the state or period of being a child

Key Grammar Structures

• IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS 'TIL SOMEBODY CRIES

  ➔ It's not X until Y

  ➔ This structure expresses a condition: "X" will not be true or complete "before Y" occurs. "Until" acts as a conjunction introducing a time clause that sets this condition.

• MY UNCLE MADE IT WORSE BY TALKING POLITICS

  ➔ by + Gerund (means of action)

  ➔ The preposition "by" followed by a "gerund" (verb + -ing) indicates the method or means by which an action is performed. Here, "talking politics" is the way the uncle "made it worse."

• I HAD A FEW OPINIONS MIGHT HAVE STARTED A FIGHT

  ➔ might have + Past Participle (Modal Perfect for past possibility)

  ➔ This modal perfect structure, "might have + past participle," expresses a past possibility or conjecture. It suggests that an action or event "possibly happened" in the past, but there is no certainty.

• GRANDPA ATE THE GUMMIES THAT WE MEANT TO HIDE

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'that' + 'mean to + Infinitive'

  ➔ The clause "that we meant to hide" is a defining relative clause modifying "the gummies," specifying which particular gummies are being referred to. "Mean to + infinitive" indicates an intention or purpose that was not necessarily fulfilled.

• OOH, I USED TO FIGHT IT

  ➔ used to + Infinitive (past habit/state)

  ➔ "Used to" followed by the base form of a verb describes an action or state that was habitual or true in the past but is no longer the case in the present. It often implies a change.

• THEY KEEP ON ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE IS SANTA A LIE

  ➔ keep on + Gerund (continuous/repeated action)

  ➔ The phrasal verb "keep on" followed by a "gerund" emphasizes that an action continues persistently or repeatedly. It often suggests an annoying or relentless nature of the action.

• EVERYBODY MADE IT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

  ➔ Idiomatic use of 'make it'

  ➔ In this context, the phrasal verb "make it" is used idiomatically to mean "succeed in reaching a particular place" or "manage to arrive," especially after some difficulty or effort.

• BUT EVERY YEAR WE SING A LITTLE SONG TO SURVIVE

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose ('to + Infinitive')

  ➔ The infinitive phrase "to survive" is used here to express the reason or purpose for the main action ("we sing a little song"). It answers the question "why?" we sing a song.