What Christmas Means to Me

• By: Cher, Stevie Wonder

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - to be on fire
mistletoe /ˈmɪsəltəʊ/ B1	noun - a plant with white berries, traditionally used as a Christmas decoration
snow /snoʊ/ A1	noun - frozen water that falls from the sky as white flakes
ice /aɪs/ A1	noun - frozen water
choir /ˈkwaɪər/ B1	noun - a group of people who sing together
carol /ˈkærəl/ B1	noun - a religious folk song or popular hymn, particularly associated with Christmas
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection verb - to feel affection for
smile /smaɪl/ A2	verb - to have a happy expression on your face noun - a happy expression on your face
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of the head
card /kɑːrd/ A1	noun - a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, used for writing or printing on
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood around the body
wild /waɪld/ B1	adjective - living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority
kiss /kɪs/ A2	verb - to touch with the lips as a sign of love noun - an act of kissing someone
merry /ˈmeri/ B1	adjective - cheerful and lively
happiness /ˈhæpinəs/ B1	noun - the state of being happy
year /jɪr/ A1	noun - the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun
deck /dek/ B2	verb - to decorate
holly /ˈhɑːli/ B2	noun - an evergreen tree with prickly dark green leaves and red berries
angel /ˈeɪndʒəl/ A2	noun - a spiritual being believed to act as a messenger of God
hair /her/ A1	noun - any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible

Grammar:

• Candles burnin' low

  ➔ Ellipsis (omission of 'are')

  ➔ This is a shortened form of "Candles are burning low." The auxiliary verb "are" is omitted for a more informal and poetic effect.

• Lots of mistletoe

  ➔ Quantifier "lots of" + noun

  ➔ "Lots of" indicates a large quantity. It's followed by the noun "mistletoe."

• Everywhere we go

  ➔ Adverb "Everywhere" + Subject + Verb (inversion omitted)

  ➔ The phrase "Everywhere we go" emphasizes the ubiquity of a feeling or thing. The typical word order after an adverbial phrase like "everywhere" would be inversion (Everywhere do we go), but that’s omitted in this case.

• I see your smilin' face

  ➔ Present simple tense, gerund as adjective ('smilin')

  ➔ The verb "see" is in the present simple. "Smilin'" is a gerund being used as an adjective to describe "face". It is a shortened form of smiling.

• Like I never seen before

  ➔ Incorrect grammar (seen instead of saw)

  ➔ This line uses the past participle "seen" instead of the simple past "saw." While grammatically incorrect, this is a common usage in informal speech, particularly in some dialects.

• Even though I love ya madly

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction "Even though" + clause (contrast)

  ➔ "Even though" introduces a contrasting idea. Despite the speaker loving someone "madly," something else is still happening.

• It seems I love you more

  ➔ "It seems" impersonal expression + clause

  ➔ "It seems" is used to express an impression or feeling without directly stating a fact. It introduces the clause "I love you more."

• Will touch my heart for sure

  ➔ Future tense (will + verb)

  ➔ "Will touch" expresses a future action. The phrase "for sure" emphasizes the certainty of the action.

• I feel like a runnin' wild

  ➔ Informal grammar: "runnin'" instead of "running"; "like" used to express a feeling or comparison.

  ➔ This line uses the informal contraction "runnin'" instead of "running." The phrase "feel like" expresses a similar feeling or sensation to running wild. It indicates a sense of excitement and freedom.