The Christmas Song – English Lyrics

• By: Linda Ronstadt

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Linda Ronstadt's warm rendition of "The Christmas Song," a timeless standard from her 2000 album *A Merry Little Christmas*. This track, sung in English, perfectly captures the nostalgic and comforting atmosphere of the holiday season through classic lyrics and Ronstadt's signature warm vocal style, making it an excellent piece to familiarize yourself with traditional American Christmas vocabulary and sentiment.

[English]

[music]

[music]

Chestnuts roasting on an open [singing]

fire.

[music]

Jack Frost nipping at your [singing]

nose.

>> [music]

>> You'll tide [singing]

carols being sung by [singing] a choir

and folks dressed up like Eskimos.

[singing and music]

Everybody knows

a turkey [music] and some mistletoe

will help to make the season bright.

Tiny tots with their eyes [singing] all

glow will [music] find it hard to sleep

tonight.

They know that Santa's

[singing]

on his way.

He's loaded lots of toys and

[singing and music] goodies on a sleigh.

[music] And every mother's child

is going to spy

to see if reeer

really know

how to fly. [singing]

And so [singing]

I'm offering this simple phrase

[music]

to kids

from 1 to 92.

Although it's been said many [music]

times,

many ways, [singing]

merry Christmas

to [music] you.

[music] Chestnuts [singing]

roasting on an open fire.

[music] Jack Frost whipping at your

door.

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

>> They know that [singing] Santa's

on his way. [music]

He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on

a sleigh.

And every mother's child [music]

is going [singing] to spy

[music] to see if reeer

really know

how to fly. [singing]

And [music]

so

I'm offering this [music] simple phrase

to kids from one to 92. [music]

Although

it's been said

many times,

many ways,

merry Christmas.

Merry

Christmas.

[music]

Merry Christmas

[music]

to

you. [singing]

Merry Christmas

[music] to you.

[music]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
chestnuts ˈtʃɛs.nʌts B1	noun - edible nuts of the chestnut tree, often roasted in winter
roasting ˈroʊ.stɪŋ B2	verb - to cook by exposing to dry heat, especially in an oven or over a fire noun - the process or result of cooking food by dry heat
frost frɒst B1	noun - a thin layer of ice formed when the temperature drops below freezing
nipping ˈnɪp.ɪŋ B2	verb - to bite or pinch sharply; to cause a stinging sensation
nose noʊz A1	noun - the part of the face that detects smell and helps with breathing
carols ˈkær.əlz B1	noun - festive songs, especially those sung at Christmas
choir ˈkwaɪ.ər B1	noun - a group of singers who perform together, often in a church or concert
Eskimos ˈɛs.kɪ.moʊz B2	noun - the indigenous peoples of the Arctic regions, traditionally known for their survival in cold climates
turkey ˈtɜr.ki A1	noun - a large bird raised for its meat, especially served at Thanksgiving and Christmas
mistletoe ˈmɪs.əlˌtoʊ C1	noun - a parasitic plant with white berries, traditionally hung as a Christmas decoration under which people kiss
bright braɪt A2	adjective - giving out a lot of light; vivid or cheerful
glow ɡloʊ B1	verb - to emit a steady, soft light noun - a soft, steady light
sleigh sleɪ B2	noun - a vehicle on runners used for moving over snow, especially pulled by animals
toys tɔɪz A1	noun - objects for children to play with
goodies ˈɡʊdiz B2	noun - tasty treats or small gifts, especially given at holidays
spy spaɪ B1	verb - to watch secretly, especially to obtain information
simple ˈsɪm.pəl A2	adjective - easy to understand or do; not complicated
phrase freɪz B1	noun - a small group of words forming a conceptual unit, typically less than a sentence
merry ˈmɛr.i A2	adjective - cheerful, lively, and full of happiness

Key Grammar Structures

• Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ The phrase "roasting on" uses the present continuous tense to describe an action happening now, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the roasting.

• Jack Frost nipping at your nose.

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ Similar to the previous example, "nipping at" uses the present continuous tense to describe an action happening at the moment.

• Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe will help to make the season bright.

  ➔ Simple Present Tense with Future Meaning

  ➔ The simple present tense is used here to express a future action, emphasizing certainty and general truth.

• They know that Santa's on his way.

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense with 's

  ➔ The contraction "Santa's" (Santa is) is used with the present continuous tense to show an action in progress.

• And so I'm offering this simple phrase to kids from one to 92.

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense with 'm

  ➔ The contraction "I'm" (I am) is used with the present continuous tense to indicate an action happening now.

• Although it's been said many times, many ways,

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ The phrase "it's been said" uses the present perfect tense to describe an action that started in the past and is relevant now.