Loudon Wainwright III
Suddenly It’s Christmas
Suddenly it's Christmas
Right after Hallowe'en
Forget about Thanksgiving;
It's just a buffet in between
There's lights and tinsel in the windows;
They're stocking up the shelves;
Santa's slaving at the North Pole
In his sweatshop full of elves
There's got to be a build-up
To the day that Christ was born:
The halls are decked with pumpkins
And the ears of Indian corn
Dragging through the falling leaves
In a one-horse open sleigh
Suddenly it's Christmas
Seven weeks before the day
Suddenly it's Christmas
The longest holiday
When they say "Season's Greetings"
They mean just what they say:
It's a season, it's a marathon
Retail eternity
It's not over till it's over
And you throw away the tree
Outside it's positively balmy
In the air nary a nip;
Suddenly it's Christmas
Unbuttoned and unzipped
Yes, they're working overtime
Santa's little runts;
Christmas comes but once a year
And goes on for two months
Christmas carols in December
And November, too;
It's no wonder we're depressed
When the whole thing is through
Finally it's January;
Let's sing "Auld Lang Syne";
But here comes another heartache
Shaped like a Valentine
Suddenly it's Christmas
The longest holiday
The season is upon us;
A pox, it won't go away
It's a season, it's a marathon
Retail eternity
It's not over till it's over
And you throw away the tree
No, it's not over till it's over
And you throw away the tree;
It's still not over till it's over
And you throw away the tree