The Kinks’ “Father Christmas” Is The Holiday Song You Never Knew You Needed

Christmas With The Kinks

I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs, because it is! British Invasion rockers The Kinks returned to the scene in 1976 with ‘Father Christmas,’ an irreverent yet surprisingly poignant approach to your regular, run of the mill songs played during the holidays. While Kinks singer Ray Davies pushes the envelope just a little with lyrics about beating up Santa Claus and asking for a machine gun of all things, he also gets down to the reality of Christmas.

As the song is told from the perspective of less fortunate kids, they’d rather have things like money and a job for their fathers who have been out of work instead of toys and board games, things that’ll help their family survive past just the one day.

Fun Fact: The Kinks are widely regarded as some of the godfathers of punk rock music.

Sure, it’s a hilarious song and it absolutely rocks – that guitar solo at 1:05 is so classic Kinks with its sharp, almost tinny sound, letting us know that the same band who wrote ‘You Really Got Me’ and ‘All Of The Day And All Of The Night‘ is still there underneath the polished yet almost punk sound of ‘Father Christmas’. More importantly, though, it’s a great song that also thinks of Christmas from a perspective most of us would never unless we were also in that position – and that’s an amazing legacy to leave behind, even if it’s only once a year!

+ Father Christmas lyrics +

When I was small I believed in Santa Clause
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at Christmas
Open my presents and I’d be glad

But the last time I played Father Christmas
I stood outside a department store
A gang of kids came over and mugged me
And knocked my reindeer to the floor

They said, “Father Christmas, give us some money
Don’t mess around with those silly toys
We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over
We want your bread so don’t make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys”

Don’t give my brother a Steve Austin outfit
Don’t give my sister a cuddly toy
We don’t want a jigsaw or monopoly money
We only want the Real McCoy

Father Christmas, give us some money
We’ll beat you up if you make us annoyed
Father Christmas, give us some money
Don’t mess around with those silly toys

But give my daddy a job ’cause he needs one
He’s got lots of mouths to feed
But if you’ve got one, I’ll have a machine gun
So I can scare all the kids down the street

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Beat you up if you don’t hand it over
We want your bread so don’t make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys

Have yourself a Merry, Merry Christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin’
While you’re drinkin’ down your wine

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
Father Christmas please hand it over
We’ll beat you up so don’t make us annoyed

Father Christmas, give us some money
We got no time for your silly toys
We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over
We want your bread, so don’t make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys