Eric Whitacre
The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus
In Baltimore there lived a boy
He wasn't anybody’s joy
Although his name was Jabez Dawes
His character was full of flaws
In school he never led his classes
He hid old ladies' reading glasses
His mouth was open when he chewed
And elbows to the table glued
He stole the milk of hungry kittens
And walked through doors marked NO ADMITTANCE
He said he acted thus because
There wasn't any Santa Claus
There isn’t any Santa Claus!
Anothеr trick that tickled Jabez
Was crying BOO at little babiеs
He brushed his teeth, they said in town
Sideways instead of up and down
Yet people pardoned every sin
And viewed his antics with a grin
Till they were told by Jabez Dawes
“There isn't any Santa Claus!”
Like whooping cough, from child to child
He sped to spread the rumor wild:
“Sure as my name is Jabez Dawes
There isn't any Santa Claus!”
Slunk like a weasel or a marten
Through nursery and kindergarten
Whispering low to ev'ry tot
“There isn't any, no there's not!”
“There isn't any, there is no Santa Claus.”
He said, “There isn't any, not there’s not! There isn’t any Santa!”
Poor Jabez Dawes, poor Jabez Dawes
Said it because he's full of flaws
Poor Jabez Dawes, he said that there wouldn’t, couldn't ever be a Santa
Poor Jabez Dawes, boy full of flaws
Broke all the laws ‘bout Santa Claus
Poor Jabez Dawes acted because
There would not, could not be a Santa Claus!