This Is Christmas – English Lyrics

• By: Luther Vandross

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the magic of Christmas through Luther Vandross's soulful voice in "This Is Christmas." This album offers a blend of R&B and holiday classics, perfect for immersing yourself in the language of love and festive cheer. Experience the heartwarming emotions and timeless melodies that make this album a cherished part of the holiday season.

[English]

Don't be discouraged

Don't be dismayed

There's hope for all in this world

'Cause this is Christmas day

Say a little prayer for the world

God teach us love

Though you think that He doesn't hear

I know He does

This is Christmas, let the world sing

Let us all begin to heal

Hallelujah, this is Christmas

And with love we can begin today

Christmas bells ring

People's hearts sing

And I forget about all the troubles I seem to have

And I tell myself to feel how my brother feels

Try to love him and maybe then I'll understand him

Make a little room in our hearts

No heart's too small

Can't we love each other today?

'Cause after all

This is Christmas, let the world sing

Let us all begin to heal

Hallelujah, this is Christmas

And with love we can begin today

(Come, come, come see the little one)

Come (come, come, come see the little one)

Come see the baby, yeah, yeah, ooh

Come (come see the baby) yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, ooh

You know, you know

(This is Christmas) yes it is, (let the) world sing

Let us all begin to heal, all begin, we can all begin

(Hallelujah) hallelujah (this is Christmas) yeah yeah

(And with love) we can begin today

(This is Christmas, let the world sing) yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (let us all begin to heal) ooh, today

(Hallelujah) this is Christmas

And with love we can begin

This is Christmas, let the world sing

Let us all begin to heal

Hallelujah, this is Christmas

And with love we can begin

This is Christmas

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hope /hoʊp/ B1	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen verb - to want something to happen or be true
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection verb - to feel deep affection for
heal /hiːl/ B1	verb - to make healthy again
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and peoples
Christmas /ˈkrɪsməs/ B1	noun - the annual Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus
prayer /prɛər/ B1	noun - a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood
brother /ˈbrʌðər/ A1	noun - a male sibling
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ B1	verb - to grasp the meaning, significance, or nature of something
trouble /ˈtrʌbəl/ B1	noun - difficulty or problems
small /smɔːl/ A1	adjective - of a size that is less than normal
begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ A2	verb - to start
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice
bell /bɛl/ A1	noun - a hollow metal instrument that makes a ringing sound
ring /rɪŋ/ A2	verb - to produce a clear resonant sound
discouraged /dɪˈskʌrɪdʒd/ B2	adjective - having lost confidence or enthusiasm
dismayed /dɪsˈmeɪd/ B2	adjective - feeling consternation and distress
teach /tiːtʃ/ A2	verb - to give instruction
forget /fərˈɡɛt/ A2	verb - to fail to remember
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation

Key Grammar Structures

• Don't be discouraged

  ➔ Negative Imperative

  ➔ This is a "negative imperative" construction, used to give a command or strong advice not to do something. It's formed with "Don't" + "be" + adjective/past participle. Here, "discouraged" acts as an adjective describing a state.

• let the world sing

  ➔ Causative Verb "Let"

  ➔ The verb "let" is used as a "causative verb" here, meaning to allow or permit something to happen. It is followed by the object ("the world") and then a "bare infinitive" (the base form of the verb without "to", "sing").

• Though you think that He doesn't hear

  ➔ Concessive Clause

  ➔ The word "Though" introduces a "concessive clause", which presents a contrast or a statement that makes the main clause seem surprising. It means "even though" or "despite the fact that".

• I know He does

  ➔ Auxiliary Verb for Emphasis/Substitution

  ➔ The auxiliary verb "does" is used here to avoid repeating the main verb (implied "hears"). It acts as a "substitute" for a previously mentioned verb phrase and often adds "emphasis" to the statement.

• I tell myself to feel how my brother feels

  ➔ Reflexive Pronoun + Infinitive Clause

  ➔ "myself" is a "reflexive pronoun", used when the subject and object of the verb are the same person. It is followed by an "infinitive clause" ("to feel") which explains the action the speaker tells themselves to do.

• And with love we can begin today

  ➔ Modal Verb "Can"

  ➔ The "modal verb" "can" expresses "ability" or "possibility". In this context, it suggests that starting with love is possible or that we have the ability to do so.

• all the troubles I seem to have

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ This is an example of a "reduced relative clause" where the relative pronoun (like "that" or "which") is omitted. The full clause would be "all the troubles that I seem to have".

• Can't we love each other today?

  ➔ Negative Interrogative + Reciprocal Pronoun

  ➔ This is a "negative interrogative" question, often used to suggest an action or express surprise. "each other" is a "reciprocal pronoun", used when two or more people or groups perform the same action to one another.

• No heart's too small

  ➔ Adverb "Too" + Adjective

  ➔ The adverb "too" is used before an adjective ("small") to indicate that something is "excessive" or more than what is desirable or necessary. Here, "heart's" is a contraction of "heart is".

• Come see the baby

  ➔ Chained Imperatives

  ➔ This sentence uses "chained imperatives", where one imperative verb ("Come") is immediately followed by another imperative verb ("see") to express a sequence of commands or an invitation to perform two actions.