Last Christmas – English Lyrics

• By: Johnny Orlando

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Johnny Orlando's vibrant pop cover of the iconic 'Last Christmas' to learn key English phrases related to romance, regret, and holiday cheer. This rendition, celebrated for its massive virality on TikTok, is a perfect song for practicing common conversational English while exploring the difference between sad holiday classics and upbeat pop production.

[English]

(musical accompaniment begins)

♪ Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪

♪ The very next day ♪

♪ You gave it away ♪

♪ This year, to save me from tears ♪

♪ I'll gave it to someone special ♪

♪ Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪

♪ Gave you my heart ♪

♪ The very next day ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Girl, it's been a year ♪

♪ It doesn't surprise me ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ You'd fool me again ♪

♪ Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪

♪ Gave you my heart ♪

♪ The very next day ♪

♪ You gave it away, you gave it away ♪

♪ This year, to save me from tears ♪

♪ Save me from tears ♪

♪ I'll give it to someone special ♪

♪ Whoa ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Give it to someone ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ I guess I was a shoulder to cry on ♪

♪ A face on a lover with a fire in his heart ♪

♪ A man undercover, but you tore me apart ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Now I've found a real love ♪

♪ You'll never fool me again ♪

♪ Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪

♪ The very next day ♪

♪ You gave it away, you gave it away ♪

♪ This year ♪

♪ To save me from tears ♪

♪ Save me from tears ♪

♪ I'll give it to someone special ♪

♪ Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪

♪ The very day, you gave it away ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Fire in his heart ♪

♪ A man undercover, but you tore him apart ♪

♪ Ahh ♪

♪ Next year ♪

♪ I'll give it to someone ♪

♪ Give it to someone special ♪

(instrumental continues)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ in your chest that sends blood around your body noun - the center of emotions, especially love
tear /tɪər/ B1	noun - a drop of salty liquid that comes from the eye when crying verb - to pull something apart or damage it by pulling
special /ˈspeʃəl/ A2	adjective - different from others and better in some way
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - to stop someone or something from being hurt or destroyed
fool /fuːl/ B1	verb - to trick someone or make them believe something that is not true noun - a person who behaves in a silly or unwise way
wrap /ræp/ B1	verb - to cover something with paper or cloth
send /send/ A2	verb - to cause something to go from one place to another, usually by mail or messaging
recognize /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/ B1	verb - to know someone or something because you have seen them before
crowded /ˈkraʊdɪd/ B1	adjective - filled with too many people
hide /haɪd/ A2	verb - to put something or yourself somewhere so that no one can see it
rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ B2	verb - to depend on someone or something for help or support
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to produce tears because of sadness or pain
lover /ˈlʌvər/ B1	noun - someone having a romantic or sexual relationship with another person
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A2	noun - flames, heat, and light that are produced when something burns
undercover /ˌʌndərˈkʌvər/ C1	adjective - working secretly using a false identity in order to get information
distance /ˈdɪstəns/ B1	noun - the amount of space between two places or people
catch /kætʃ/ A2	verb - to take hold of something moving through the air
apart /əˈpɑːrt/ B1	adverb/adjective - separated by distance or difference

Key Grammar Structures

• Last Christmas, I gave you my heart.

  ➔ Past simple tense.

  ➔ The verb "gave" shows a completed action in the past (a specific event last Christmas).

• The very next day, you gave it away.

  ➔ Adverbial phrase of time.

  ➔ The phrase "the very next day" emphasizes immediacy — something happened right after the previous event.

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

  ➔ Future simple with "will" and infinitive clause of purpose.

  ➔ The clause "to save me from tears" shows the reason or purpose for the future action "I'll give."

• Once bitten and twice shy.

  ➔ Reduced clause / idiomatic expression.

  ➔ The phrase omits words like "if you are" or "when one is". It means being cautious after a bad experience.

• Tell me, baby, do you recognize me?

  ➔ Present simple question with auxiliary "do".

  ➔ "Do" is used here to form a question about a present action or state (recognition now).

• I wrapped it up and sent it.

  ➔ Compound sentence with two coordinated verbs.

  ➔ The verbs "wrapped" and "sent" share the same subject, joined by "and" to describe sequential actions.

• Now I know what a fool I’ve been.

  ➔ Present perfect and object clause with "what".

  ➔ "I’ve been" indicates a past action with present relevance, and "what a fool I’ve been" expresses realization.

• I guess I was a shoulder to cry on.

  ➔ Past simple with metaphorical expression.

  ➔ The phrase "a shoulder to cry on" means a person who provides comfort, expressed in past context.

• A man undercover, but you tore me apart.

  ➔ Contrast conjunction "but" joining two clauses.

  ➔ The first clause "A man undercover" describes a hidden identity, while "but you tore me apart" introduces contrast.

• Now I’ve found a real love.

  ➔ Present perfect tense.

  ➔ The present perfect ("I’ve found") indicates a recent action with a result relevant to the present.