Last Christmas – English Lyrics

• By: Wham!

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the story of a holiday heartbreak that became a global classic with Wham!'s "Last Christmas." This song offers a unique opportunity to learn English by exploring themes of love, loss, and hope through its simple yet powerful lyrics. The contrast between its cheerful 80s synth-pop sound and its sad story makes it a fascinating and memorable way to engage with the language and a timeless piece of music history.

[English]

Ah, ah-ah, ooh, whoa

Ah-ah

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 (you gave it away)

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special (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

"Happy 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 kiss 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 (you gave it away)

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special (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 (special)

Oh-oh

Oh, my baby

A crowded room, 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 man under cover, but you tore me apart

Ooh-ooh

Now I've found a real love, you'll never fool me again

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day, you gave it away (you gave it away)

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special (special)

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart (I gave you my heart)

But the very next day, you gave it away (you gave it away)

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special (special)

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart (I gave you my heart)

A man under cover, but you tore him apart

Maybe next year

I'll give it to someone

I'll give it to someone special (special)

Someone

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
heart /hɑːt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood; the center of emotional feeling
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection or strong attraction verb - to feel deep affection for someone
Christmas /ˈkrɪs·məs/ B1	noun - the annual Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus
give /ɡɪv/ A1	verb - to transfer possession of something to someone
tear /tɪər/ A2	noun - a drop of liquid that comes from the eye when crying
special /ˈspɛʃ.əl/ B1	adjective - different from what is usual, especially in a good way
fool /fuːl/ B2	noun - a person who lacks good sense or judgment verb - to deceive or trick someone
kiss /kɪs/ A2	noun - the act of pressing one's lips against someone or something verb - to press one's lips against someone or something
recognize /ˈrek.əɡ.naɪz/ B2	verb - to identify someone or something seen before
surprise /sərˈpraɪz/ B2	noun - an unexpected event or feeling verb - to cause someone to feel astonishment
note /noʊt/ A2	noun - a brief written record or message verb - to record briefly in writing
baby /ˈbeɪ.bi/ A1	noun - a very young child
soul /soʊl/ B2	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a person
ice /aɪs/ A2	noun - frozen water
rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ B2	verb - to depend confidently on someone or something
shoulder /ˈʃoʊl.dɚ/ B1	noun - the joint connecting the arm to the body
fire /faɪr/ A2	noun - the burning of material producing heat and light
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
cover /ˈkʌv.ər/ B1	verb - to place something upon or over something else
crowded /ˈkraʊ.dɪd/ B2	adjective - full of people; compact and busy

Key Grammar Structures

• Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

  ➔ Past simple tense. The verb 'gave' is the past simple form of 'give', used to describe a completed action at a specific time in the past.

  ➔ The key word is "gave"; it shows the action happened in the past at a specific time.

• This year, to save me from tears I'll give it to someone special

  ➔ Future simple with will (contracted as I'll). Infinitive of purpose follows after comma: 'to save me from tears'.

  ➔ The key word is "I'll"; it marks a planned future action. The phrase "to save me from tears" is an infinitive of purpose.

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

  ➔ Present simple tense for routines or general truths. The verb 'keep' is in the base form for 'I'.

  ➔ The key word is "keep"; it shows a habitual action in the present.

• Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?

  ➔ Question formation in present simple using do-support. The verb 'recognize' is in base form after 'do'.

  ➔ The key word is "do"; it is the auxiliary used to form a yes/no question in the present simple.

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

  ➔ Present perfect in "it's been a year" (it has been). The second clause uses simple present with 'doesn't surprise me'.

  ➔ The key word is "been"; it signals the present perfect form.

• Now I know what a fool I've been

  ➔ Present perfect with 'I've been' (I have been) to describe ongoing relevance from the past.

  ➔ The key word is "I've"; it is the contraction of 'I have' in the present perfect.

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

  ➔ Conditional clause with 'if' in the present and a main clause with 'would' (real condition).

  ➔ The key word is "would" (represented as you'd). It expresses a conditional consequence.

• I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice

  ➔ Present continuous tense for ongoing action in progress. The contraction "I'm" = I am.

  ➔ The key word is "I'm"; it marks the present continuous tense.

• Now I've found a real love, you'll never fool me again

  ➔ Present perfect in "I've found" (I have found). The clause "you'll never fool me again" uses future with will.

  ➔ The key word is "I've"; it marks the present perfect, showing a past action with present relevance.

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

  ➔ Conditional mood with "if" clause in present; main clause uses 'would' to express a likely future result.

  ➔ The key word is "would" (represented as you'd). It indicates a hypothetical future consequence.

• I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice

  ➔ Present continuous for an ongoing action; subject 'I' + am + verb-ing.

  ➔ The key word is "I'm"; it marks the present continuous tense.

• Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

  ➔ Past simple again; repetition to emphasize the recurring memory within the story.

  ➔ The key word is "gave"; it anchors the narrative in the past.