Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town – English Lyrics

• By: No Angels

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a joyful linguistic journey with No Angels' "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"! This classic Christmas song, delivered with the German girl group's signature harmonies and a lush big band sound, offers a fun and accessible way to engage with English vocabulary and common holiday expressions. Learn about Christmas traditions and catchy phrases while enjoying this warm and emotional festive track.

[English]

You better watch out

You better not cry

You better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is comin'

to Town

He's making a list

He's checkin' it twice

He's gonna find out

who's naughty or nice

Santa Claus is comin'

to Town

He sees you when you're sleepin'

He knows when you're awake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake

Oh, you better watch out

You better not cry

You better not pout

I'm tellin' you why

Santa Claus is comin'

to Town

Santa Claus is comin'

to Town

Santa Claus is comin'

to Town

With little tin horns

and little toy drums

Toot-toot-toots

and rummy tum-tums

Santa Claus is comin'

to Town

Oh, oh, oh, and curly-haired dolls

that cuddle and coo

Elephants, boats

and kiddie cars, too

Santa Claus is comin'

to Town

That kids in girl and boy land

will have a jubilee

They're gonna build a Toyland town

all around that Christmas tree

So, you better watch out

You better not cry

You better not pout

I'm tellin' you why

Santa Claus is comin' to town

Santa Claus is comin'

to town

Santa Claus is comin'

to Town

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
watch /wɒtʃ/ A1	verb - to look at something carefully for a period of time
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to produce tears because you are sad or hurt
pout /paʊt/ B2	verb - to push your lips forward to show annoyance or attract attention
make /meɪk/ A1	verb - to create or produce something
list /lɪst/ A1	noun - a series of names or items written or printed together
find /faɪnd/ A2	verb - to discover something or someone by searching
naughty /ˈnɔːti/ B1	adjective - behaving badly or not obeying rules
nice /naɪs/ A1	adjective - pleasant, kind, or enjoyable
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to rest your body with your eyes closed
awake /əˈweɪk/ B1	adjective - not sleeping
goodness /ˈɡʊdnəs/ B2	noun - the quality of being kind, honest, or moral
horn /hɔːn/ B1	noun - a musical instrument that you blow into
drum /drʌm/ A2	noun - a musical instrument played by hitting a stretched surface
cuddle /ˈkʌdl/ B2	verb - to hold someone or something close for affection
elephant /ˈelɪfənt/ A1	noun - a very large grey animal with a long trunk
boat /bəʊt/ A1	noun - a small vehicle for travelling on water
build /bɪld/ A2	verb - to construct something by putting parts together
Christmas /ˈkrɪsməs/ A1	noun - the Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ
tree /triː/ A1	noun - a tall plant with a trunk and branches made of wood
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - a place where people live, smaller than a city

Key Grammar Structures

• You better watch out

  ➔ Modal verb (better) for advice

  ➔ The word "better" is used here as a modal verb to give advice or a warning, suggesting that watching out is the preferred action.

• He's making a list

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase "He's making" uses the present continuous tense to describe an action happening now, emphasizing that Santa is currently in the process of making a list.

• He knows if you've been bad or good

  ➔ Present perfect tense in if-clause

  ➔ The phrase "you've been bad or good" uses the present perfect tense to refer to actions that started in the past and are relevant to the present, indicating Santa's ongoing knowledge of behavior.

• So be good for goodness sake

  ➔ Imperative mood with idiomatic expression

  ➔ The phrase "be good for goodness sake" uses the imperative mood to give a direct command, while "for goodness sake" is an idiomatic expression emphasizing urgency or frustration.

• With little tin horns and little toy drums

  ➔ Use of adjectives and nouns in apposition

  ➔ The phrase uses adjectives like "little" to modify nouns "tin horns" and "toy drums," providing specific details about the items Santa is bringing.