Christmas carols are heartwarming, right? The lyrics talk of the Christmas spirit, sharing, generosity, and good deeds. Oh, did we forget the food? Christmas Is Coming is one such small song that explains the spirit of the season in four lines.
No one knows how old this Christmas carol is. We don’t know how and where it originated. But we do know how it became popular. The song is a part of the Roud Folk Song Index, numbered 12817. Read on to know the lyrics of this sweet song and download a printable PDF of the same.
Written Lyrics
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat
Please put a penny in the old man’s hat;
If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do,
If you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you!
Printable Lyrics
Download the printable PDF of Christmas Is Coming from this link (PDF attached).
Photo Lyrics
Click on the image to save it on your device.
Video Links
Check out this adorable animation with subtitles. Kids will enjoy this video:
Here’s another version of the song (for adults):
Origins and History
Christmas Is Coming is a traditional Christmas carol with its roots in ancient times. The song signifies the meaning of Christmas as a season of goodness, kindness, and celebration. There are no clear records of the song’s origins.
Writer Edith Nesbit Bland composed a tune for the lyrics and made it popular during her time. She was the author of various children’s books and collaborated on many such works. The older version of the song was tuned to the Country Gardens folk song.
The British Library Sound Archive has the version sung by Jack Elliot in the early 1960s. The Kingston Trio, the American folk and pop band, revived the song and recorded it with a different title. The band called it A Round About Christmas in The Last Month of the Year album.
The Christmas carol is famous in the US and UK. The music score of the animated TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, featured Christmas Is Coming. The show was aired in 1965.
Moreover, the song appeared on John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together album from 1979. The album included a calypso (Afro-Caribbean style of music) version of the song.
Furthermore, Christmas Is Coming is the inspiration for a few other songs like Christmas Is a-Comin by Frank Luther.
FAQs
Carols were a part of the pagan Roman Empire appropriated by early Christians. It was in the Victorian Era (mid-19th century) when Christmas carols made a comeback and became mainstream.
A few other songs are:
Silent Night
Jingle Bells
White Christmas
We Wish you a Merry Christmas
Joy to the World
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