Santa, Can't You Hear Me – English Lyrics

• By: Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande
• Album: When Christmas Comes Around...

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the festive spirit with "Santa, Can't You Hear Me," a powerhouse duet by Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande. This big-band Christmas anthem is a masterclass in vocal blending and intricate harmonies, offering a relatable message about seeking love over material possessions during the holidays. Exploring its lyrics and the vocal artistry will not only immerse you in Christmas joy but also introduce you to expressions of heartfelt longing in English.

[English]

Keep the snow and sleigh rides, keep those silver bells

Keep the gifts beneath the tree, give them to someone else

Keep that magic snowman, keep those twinkly lights

Keep the reindeer, my heart already knows how to fly

'Cause all I ever wanted

Was nothing I got, and...

Santa, can't you hear me?

Oh-oh (oh-oh) oh-oh (oh)

I don't need a thing

I sent a letter to you-ooh-ooh

On how to make my dreams come true, yeah-yeah

What I want for Christmas

Hasn't come and I feel so blue

Tell me, what can I do? Ooh-ooh, oh yeah

Keep the mistletoe (keep the mistletoe)

All that's below is what I need (what I need)

Santa, can't you hear me?

Keep those bows and boxes (keep them bows and them boxes)

Keep those three wise men

No need for a north star to show me where I will land

'Cause all I ever wanted

Isn't on a shelve, and...

Santa, can't you hear me?

Oh-oh (oh-oh), oh-oh (ooh, yeah), oh-oh (ooh-ooh), oh-oh

I don't need a thing

I sent a letter to you-ooh-ooh

On how to make my dreams come true, oh-oh

What I want for Christmas

Hasn't come and I feel so blue

Tell me, what can I do? Ooh-ooh, oh yeah

Keep the mistletoe (keep the mistletoe)

All that's below is what I need

Oh, Santa, can't you hear me? Yeah

'Cause all I ever wanted

Was nothing I got, and

Santa, can't you hear me? There is one thing that I need

Mmm-oh (oh), oh yeah (oh-oh), ooh, yeah (oh, oh)

Santa, yeah-yeah-yeah

I don't need a thing

I sent a letter to you-ooh-ooh (you-ooh-ooh)

On how to make my dreams come true, oh-oh

What I want for Christmas

Hasn't come and I feel so blue

Tell me, what can I do? Ooh-ooh, oh yeah

Keep the mistletoe

All that's below is what I need

Oh, Santa, can't you hear me?

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
snow /snoʊ/ A1	noun - small white ice crystals that fall from the sky in winter
sleigh /sleɪ/ B1	noun - a vehicle on runners, used for traveling over snow
gift /ɡɪft/ A1	noun - something given voluntarily without payment in return
magic /ˈmædʒɪk/ A2	adjective - producing effects that cannot be explained by science
twinkly /ˈtwɪŋkli/ B2	adjective - shining with a sparkling light
reindeer /ˈreɪnˌdɪr/ B1	noun - a deer with large horns, often associated with Santa Claus
fly /flaɪ/ A1	verb - to travel through the air
wanted /ˈwɑːntɪd/ A2	verb - past tense of 'want'; to desire or wish for something
letter /ˈlɛtər/ A1	noun - a message written on paper and sent in an envelope
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
Christmas /ˈkrɪsməs/ A1	noun - a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ
blue /bluː/ A1	adjective - of a color between green and violet in the visible spectrum
mistletoe /ˈmɪsəlˌtoʊ/ B1	noun - a plant with white berries, traditionally used at Christmas for kissing under
bows /baʊz/ A2	noun - a knot tied decoratively, typically on a ribbon
boxes /ˈbɑːksɪz/ A1	noun - a container with a lid, used for storage or shipping
wise /waɪz/ A2	adjective - having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment
star /stɑːr/ A1	noun - a massive ball of gas, especially the sun, emitting light and heat
land /lænd/ A1	noun - the solid part of the earth's surface
shelve /ʃɛlv/ B2	verb - to put something on a shelf

Key Grammar Structures

• Keep the snow and sleigh rides, keep those silver bells

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The verb form 'keep' is in the imperative mood, used to give commands or instructions.

• 'Cause all I ever wanted / Was nothing I got, and...

  ➔ Past Simple with 'ever'

  ➔ The phrase 'all I ever wanted' uses the past simple with 'ever' to emphasize a strong desire in the past.

• Santa, can't you hear me?

  ➔ Tag Question

  ➔ 'Can't you' is a tag question, a short question added to a statement to seek confirmation.

• I don't need a thing

  ➔ Present Simple with 'do' for Emphasis

  ➔ The use of 'do' in 'I don't need' adds emphasis to the negation.

• What I want for Christmas / Hasn't come and I feel so blue

  ➔ Present Perfect with 'hasn't'

  ➔ 'Hasn't come' uses the present perfect to indicate an action that started in the past and has relevance now.

• Keep the mistletoe (keep the mistletoe) / All that's below is what I need

  ➔ Relative Pronoun 'that'

  ➔ 'That' is used as a relative pronoun to introduce a clause that describes 'all'.

• 'Cause all I ever wanted / Is nothing I got, and...

  ➔ Subject-Verb Inversion in Questions

  ➔ The inversion of 'Is nothing I got' is used to form a question for emphasis.