What Christmas Means to Me – English Lyrics

• By: Cher, Stevie Wonder

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the festive spirit and learn English with 'What Christmas Means to Me,' a timeless holiday classic. This upbeat Motown song, featuring the legendary vocals and harmonica of Stevie Wonder and a recent duet with pop icon Cher, uses vivid and simple language to describe the universal joys of Christmas, making it perfect for understanding everyday expressions about holiday traditions and emotions. Its catchy melody and clear lyrics offer an accessible and enjoyable way to expand your English vocabulary related to celebrations, family, and winter cheer.

[English]

Oh, yeah

Candles burnin' low

Lots of mistletoe

Lots of snow and ice

Everywhere we go

(Choir singin' carols)

Right outside my door

All these things and more (all these things and more)

That's what Christmas means to me, my love

(That's what Christmas means to me, my love) oh, yeah

Oh, yeah and ya know what I mean

I see your smilin' face

Like I never seen before

Even though I love ya madly

It seems I love you more

The little cards you'll give-me

Will touch my heart for sure

All these things and more, darlin' (all these things and more)

Whoa, that's what Christmas means to me my love

(That's what Christmas means to me, my love) oh, yeah

Oh, yeah

Ah, I feel like a runnin' wild (runnin' wild)

As an anxious as a-little-child

I greet you 'neath the mistletoe

Kiss you once and then some more

I wish you a merry Christmas baby (wish you a merry Christmas baby)

Whoa

And such happiness in the comin' year (happiness in the comin' year)

Oh, baby

Let's deck the halls with holly

Sing sweet silent night

Fill the tree with angel hair

And pretty, pretty lights

Go to sleep and wake up

Just before daylight

All these things and more, baby (all these things and more)

Whoa

That's what Christmas means to me, my love

(That's what Christmas means to me, my love)

Oh, baby, baby

...

Yeah

Candles burnin' low

Lots and lots of snow (alright)

Christmas bells are ringin'

Christmas choirs singin' (woo)

Christmas mistletoe

Oh, yeah

Haha, haha, haha

...

Key Vocabulary

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

Key Grammar Structures

• Candles burnin' low

  ➔ Present participle as adjective.

  ➔ The word "burnin'" (burning) modifies the noun "candles," describing their state. It's a shortened form of "burning" for stylistic effect. Level B2-C1 understanding of participles as adjectives.

• Like I never seen before

  ➔ Incorrect past participle use (should be "seen" instead of "saw" or "seen"). Subjunctive Mood (implied)

  ➔ This line uses non-standard grammar ("seen" instead of "seen"), likely for stylistic or dialectical reasons. The intended meaning is a comparison: "Like I have never seen before." The implied subjunctive suggests disbelief or strong emotion: "as if I had never seen."

• It seems I love you more

  ➔ Reporting verb "seems" + clause.

  ➔ "It seems" introduces a clause expressing the speaker's subjective feeling or perception. "Seems" indicates a degree of uncertainty or indirectness. Level B2-C1 understanding.

• The little cards you'll give-me

  ➔ Future tense with "will" (contracted to "'ll"). Colloquial omission of 'to' in "give me".

  ➔ "You'll give" indicates a future action. "Give-me" is a colloquial contraction of "give me", demonstrating informal speech patterns. Omission of the preposition 'to' is a feature of informal speech.

• Will touch my heart for sure

  ➔ Future tense with "will". Adverbial phrase "for sure".

  ➔ "Will touch" indicates a future action. "For sure" is an adverbial phrase used to emphasize certainty.

• As anxious as a-little-child

  ➔ Simile using "as...as". Incorrect article usage (should be 'a little child' or 'as a little child'.)

  ➔ The structure "as anxious as" forms a simile, comparing the speaker's anxiety to that of a child. The hyphenated phrase "a-little-child" is grammatically incorrect and likely used for emphasis or stylistic effect. Correct usage would include a space: "a little child."

• Let's deck the halls with holly

  ➔ Imperative sentence using "Let's" (Let us). Preposition "with" indicating means.

  ➔ "Let's deck..." is an invitation or suggestion for a joint action. The phrase "with holly" indicates what the halls will be decorated using.