Lyrics & Translation
Dive into the festive spirit with Train's "Shake Up Christmas," a song that beautifully blends pop-rock energy with heartwarming holiday cheer. Its clear and engaging lyrics offer a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in English vocabulary related to joy, family, and the magic of Christmas. The song's simple, positive message and catchy chorus make it an ideal and memorable tool for language learners to pick up common phrases and expressions, understanding cultural nuances of holiday celebrations in English-speaking contexts.
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
|
happiness /ˈhæpɪnəs/ B2 |
|
|
wish /wɪʃ/ B1 |
|
|
wish /wɪʃ/ B1 |
|
|
world /wɜːrld/ A2 |
|
|
time /taɪm/ A1 |
|
|
story /ˈstɔːri/ A2 |
|
|
remember /rɪˈmɛm.bər/ B1 |
|
|
reassemble /riːəˈsɛm.bəl/ C1 |
|
|
story /ˈstɔːri/ A2 |
|
|
wish /wɪʃ/ B1 |
|
|
dream /driːm/ B2 |
|
|
love /lʌv/ A2 |
|
|
spread /spred/ B2 |
|
What does “happiness” mean in the song "Shake Up Christmas"?
Learn fast – go deep – and remember longer with interactive exercises in the app!
Key Grammar Structures
-
There's a story that I was told
➔ Passive Voice (was told) with relative clause (that I was told)
➔ The story was told to me. The relative clause "that I was told" modifies "story."
-
Before I get too old
➔ Adverbial clause of time (Before + subject + verb)
➔ "Before" introduces a time clause indicating something needs to happen before I become very old.
-
And reassemble it, oh, yeah
➔ Imperative + Object Pronoun
➔ "Reassemble" is used as an imperative, telling the listener to put something back together (the story). "It" is a pronoun refering back to the story.
-
A little girl made a great big wish
➔ Simple Past Tense (made) with descriptive adjectives (little, great, big)
➔ This line uses simple past tense to describe a completed action. The adjectives "little," "great," and "big" provide detail about the girl and her wish.
-
That the world would be okay
➔ Subjunctive Mood (would be) in a noun clause after "wish"
➔ "Would be" indicates a hypothetical or desired state. The noun clause "that the world would be okay" functions as the object of the verb associated with the wish (implied, but related to "made a wish").
-
Can you send some happiness?
➔ Modal verb (Can) for request/possibility in an interrogative sentence.
➔ "Can" is used to make a polite request of Santa Claus. It implies a question about whether it's possible for Santa to send happiness.
-
You give my grandma a reason to smile
➔ Causative "give" structure (give someone a reason to do something)
➔ The structure "give someone a reason to do something" means to cause or enable someone to do something. Here, it's a request for Santa to create a situation that would make the grandma smile.
-
It's cold but we'll be freezing in style
➔ Conjunction "but" showing contrast; Future Continuous "will be freezing"
➔ "But" contrasts the cold weather with the idea of still being fashionable or enjoying themselves. "Will be freezing" describes an action that will be in progress at a point in the future.
Same Singer
Shake Up Christmas
Train
50 Ways to Say Goodbye
Train
Careless Whisper
Train, Kenny G
Drink Up
Train
Related Songs
Girls Like You
Sofia Camara
Parking Lot
Sofia Camara
That’s Just How You Feel
Sofia Camara
You Can't Save Me
Sofia Camara
Breathe Me
Tyla
Butterflies
Tyla
To Last
Tyla
BACK to YOU
Tyla
Safer
Tyla
Priorities
Tyla
On and On
Tyla
Soft to Be Strong
MARINA
No More Suckers
MARINA
Too Afraid
MARINA
Emotional Machine
MARINA
Karma
MARINA
You
MARINA
Fear and Loathing
MARINA
天空沒有極限
G.E.M. 鄧紫棋
今后我与自己流浪
张碧晨