Last Christmas – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift

Lyrics & Translation

Taylor Swift's 2007 cover of "Last Christmas" offers a fantastic way to immerse yourself in American country-pop interpretations of holiday classics. This track showcases her early, youthful vocal style infused with country flair, making it special as an early career holiday offering that gives a nostalgic, high-energy spin to a well-known heartbreak anthem.

[English]

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special

Once bitten and twice shy

I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye

Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?

Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me

"Merry Christmas," I wrapped it up and sent it

With a note saying "I love you," I meant it

Now I know what a fool I've been

But if you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special

A crowded room and friends with tired eyes

I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice

My God, I thought you were someone to rely on

Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart

A girl under cover, but you tore her apart

Maybe this year, maybe this year

I'll give it to someone special

'Cause last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special

And last Christmas

...

And this year

Won't be anything like, anything like-

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
heart /hɑrt/ A2	noun - the muscular organ that pumps blood noun - the central or most important part; core
Christmas /ˈkrɪs.məs/ A2	noun - the festival celebrated on December 25th by Christians and some others
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - drops of liquid from the eyes when crying noun - rips or gashes in fabric or material
special /ˈspɛʃ.əl/ B1	adjective - better or different from what is usual; unique or important
bitten /ˈbɪtən/ B2	adjective - having been bitten by something
distance /ˈdɪstəns/ B1	noun - the amount of space between two points or objects
eye /aɪ/ A2	noun - the organ of sight noun - an opening or central part like the eye of a needle
recognize /ˈrɛk.əɡ.naɪz/ B1	verb - to identify someone or something you know verb - to acknowledge the existence or validity of
year /jɪr/ A1	noun - a period of twelve months
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - a deep affection or strong liking for someone or something verb - to feel a deep affection for someone or something
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or lacks judgment verb - to trick or deceive someone
kiss /kɪs/ A2	noun - a touch with the lips as a gesture of affection verb - to touch with the lips as a gesture of affection
room /rum/ A1	noun - a space inside a building, with walls and a door
friends /frɛndz/ A2	noun - people with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
tired /ˈtaɪərd/ B1	adjective - in need of rest; fatigued
eyes /aɪz/ A2	noun - two organs used for seeing
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a person; their essence
fire /ˈfaɪər/ B2	noun - the flame or combustion; a source of heat or light verb - to dismiss someone from a job

Key Grammar Structures

• Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

  ➔ Past Simple

  ➔ The verb "gave" is in the past simple to show a completed action in the past.

• I'll give it to someone special

  ➔ Future Simple (will) with contraction

  ➔ The contraction "I'll" stands for "I will", expressing a future intention.

• Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me

  ➔ Present Perfect

  ➔ "It's been" uses the present perfect to show that a period of time (a year) has continued up to the present.

• If you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again

  ➔ Second Conditional (hypothetical present)

  ➔ "If you kissed" uses the past simple in the if‑clause to talk about an unreal present situation; "you'd fool" (would + verb) shows the imagined result.

• Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?

  ➔ Imperative + Embedded Question

  ➔ "Tell" is an imperative verb giving a command; the following clause "do you recognize me?" is a direct question inserted after the command.

• Once bitten and twice shy

  ➔ Idiomatic past participle used as adjective

  ➔ "Bitten" and "shy" are past participles that function as adjectives in the idiom meaning "having been hurt before, so cautious now".

• I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye

  ➔ Contrast conjunction "but"

  ➔ "But" connects two contrasting ideas: keeping distance versus catching the eye.

• I'll give it to someone special

  ➔ Indirect object with preposition "to"

  ➔ "to someone special" shows the indirect object (who receives the heart) introduced by the preposition "to".

• Won't be anything like this year

  ➔ Future negative contraction "won't"

  ➔ "Won't" is a contraction of "will not", used to deny a future event.