You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He’s making a list,
He’s checking it twice,
He’s gonna find out
who’s naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He sees you when you’re sleeping,
He knows when you’re awake.
He knows when you’ve been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.
So you better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Little tin horns,
Little toy drums.
Rudy-toot-toot
and rummy tum tums.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Little toy dolls
that cuddle and coo,
Elephants, boats
and Kiddie cars too.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
The kids in Girl and Boy Land
will have a jubilee.
They’re gonna build a toyland town
all around the Christmas tree.
Oh you better watch out,
You better not cry.
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming
Santa Claus is coming
Santa Claus is coming
To town.
Written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, and first sung on Eddie Cantor’s radio show in November 1934
A popular version is on YouTube sung by the Jackson 5.