Christmas Is Coming

"Christmas Is Coming" is a nursery rhyme and American Christmas carol (frequently sung as a round) with lyrics as follows:

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat

(also, ... the goose is getting fat)

Please do 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!

A variant has the final line as "If you have no ha'penny, then God bless you!" Another variant is "Please to put a penny in the old man's hat" in the second line.

The traditional version of this song uses the melody of the English dance tune "Country Gardens", but other melodies exist. An instrumental version was popularized by The Kingston Trio as "A Round About Christmas", on their album The Last Month of the Year. A calypso sounding version of the carol was featured on a Christmas album John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together and a loose, jazzy piano-based arrangement was featured in the musical score of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The rhyme also became the basis for the song '"Christmas Is a-Comin'", re-written by Frank Luther and performed by Bing Crosby, among others; this song contains the following lyrics:

When I'm feeling blue, when I'm feeling low,

I start to think about the happiest man I know.

Now he doesn't mind the snow, he doesn't mind the rain,

But all December you will hear him at your window pane,

Singing again and again and again and again and again:

Christmas is a coming and the bells begin to ring,

The holly's in the window and the birds begin to sing.

I don't need to worry, and I don't need to fret,

And the more you give at Christmastime the more you get.

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!

The more you give at Christmastime the more you get.

Christmas is a coming, the egg is in the nog.

Please give a friendly man a friendly little dog.

If you haven't got a friendly dog, a friendly cat will do,

If you haven't got a friendly cat may God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!

If you haven't got a friendly cat may God bless you!

Christmas is a coming, the lights are on the tree.

How about a turkey leg for dear old me?

If you haven't got a turkey leg, a turkey wing will do.

If you haven't got a turkey wing may God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!

If you haven't got a turkey wing may God bless you!

Christmas is a coming, the cider's in the keg.

If I had a mug of cider I wouldn't have to beg.

If you haven't got a mug of cider, half a mug will do.

If you haven't got half a mug, may God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!

If you haven't got half a mug, may God bless you!

If you haven't got a thing for me, may God bless you!