Oh Santa,
I been waiting on you.

Santa:
That's funny kid,
because I've been coming for you.

Oh Santa,
I been killing just for fun.

Santa:
Well the party's over kid,
Because I...
Because I got a bullet in my gun!

A bullet in your what?!

Santa's got a bullet in his gun
You know it
Santa's got a bullet in his gun

Don't shoot me Santa Clause!
I've been a clean living boy.
I promise you,
did every little thing you asked me too.
I can't believe the things I'm going through.
Don't shoot me Santa Clause!
For no one else around believes me.
For the children on the block they tease me,
And I couldn't let 'em off that easy.

Oh Santa,
It's been a real hard year.

Santa:
There just ain't no getting around this,
Life is hard, but look at me I turned out alright.

Hey Santa, why don't we talk about it?
Work it out?

Santa:
Believe me, this ain't what I wanted.
I love all you kids, you know that.
Hell I remember when you were just 10 years old,
playing out there in that desert, just waiting for a sip of that sweet mojave rain.

In the sweet mojave rain,
The boy was on his own.

Don't shoot me Santa Clause!
I've been a clean living boy.
I promise you,
did every little thing you asked me too.
I can't believe the things I'm going through.
Hey Santa Clause!
No one else around believes me.
The children on the block they tease me,
And I couldn't let 'em off that easy.

They had it coming so why can't you see?
I couldn't turn my cheek no longer.
The sun is going down, Christmas is near.
Just look the other way and I'll disappear forever.

Don't shoot me Santa Clause!
No one else around believes me.
The children on the block they tease me,
And I couldn't let 'em off that easy.

Believe me Santa.



Lyrics submitted by MarkieP

Track duration: 04:04


Don't Shoot Me Santa! song meanings
Add your thoughts

30 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    Song Meaning:The way I see it, Santa has always been some sort of judge when you are kid, although you don't necessarily think in those terms at that age. The rules are simple: every year, if you've been a "good kid", Santa brings you presents. But if you've been naughty, Santa doesn't bring you anything. And it is he who decides which category you must be in.

    I think the characters and the whole situation are just a metaphor. It's a simple story to represent a common dilemma: somebody did something he/she considered "bad" and now feels guilty, but at the same time this person thinks it was necessary to do it, because nobody helped him/her, there were no more options, and the situation became unbearable. Here, Santa represents something more or less like "karma". So, fearing a punishment even worse than not having presents, this Kid tries to explain and justify his acts, asking Santa to have mercy on him.

    The "killing just for fun" part could be confusing, but it remembers me the scene in Kill Bill 2, when Bill tell Beatrix their young daughter killed her goldfish pet*. This is why I think "just for fun" doesn't necessarily means a sadistic view of the killings, but an innocent and childish view of the situation.

    I don't know if someone would agree with me on this interpretation of the lyrics, but I find this song rather impressive, probably one the best of The Killers as yet, because it's just so funny and thoughtful at the same time, not to mention the excellent music it has.

    (*) I found the scene @ youtube.com/…
    Flag Wacharaboyon January 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i like brandon voice ( i cudn let'em off tht easy ) i got a seem trouble with a nasty friend in the past and me too i cudnt let'em that easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Flag brightside1994on August 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is just really supposed to be a funny christmas song for the fans, with perhaps a little bit of meaing behind the words.

    The music video was certainly hilarious XD.
    Flag LunarTheStrangeon February 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:if this is santa clause then why in the music video they are in the desert?
    Flag darkparty4on February 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:also i bet that bflow being him there is some kind of religios message as in most songs
    Flag darkparty4on February 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:well it seems that santa is trying to shoot him. my interpritation is that recently he went back and killed a bunch of kids that teased him. Now santa is trying to shoot him.
    Flag darkparty4on February 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree with Xhil.
    Bflow is very religious and I'm sure he wrote this with at least a slight religious undertone, as with many of his songs.
    I don't think it's about a pedophile, just a kid who got made fun of, and, like others have said, finally snapped and got revenge. Now the kid feels guilty and fears he's going to be punished.
    Flag amycaryson January 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree with lauur, but also have a feeling that Santa is a sort of euphenism for Satan. Wow, I just realized the letter rearrangement thing when I wrote it. Just an idea, the man in red thing. But mainly just a song about how some guy pities himself so much that he thinks that it justifies any horrible thing he does. To tell the truth, this song hardly reminds me of Christmas at all. Though the "out in the desert" part seems a little random and odd, (and I definitely don't really understand it) it's in true The Killers taste.
    Flag mrowrkat98on December 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't know about any of you, but this song definitely makes me think of Robot Santa from Futurama. Merry XMAS! haha....
    Flag triniturtle09on October 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:urhm, I guess there are hundreds of different meanings there could be, they probably didn't even go for a serious meaning, just a pretty darn awesome song :D.
    I guess it's up to the listenener to image in create a story by listening, I personally think it's:
    About a boy who grew up being picked on his whole life & teased, and he always just tolerated it, but one day he snapped & shot people because he'd been bullied so much. & the only person he ever considered nice to him was santa cause he didnt judge him as a kid, then one day he let santa down :}
    lol, just a random story I associated with the song!
    Flag lauur67on March 18, 2009   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain