Intro
[Dmaj7] [A/C#] [Bm7] [Gmaj7]
Intro
[Dmaj7]
The calendar flipped, the leaves turned to brown,
[A/C#]
And suddenly Santa came to town.
[Bm7]
But before the goodwill, the carols, the cheer,
[Gmaj7]
There's a list full of names, and a wallet full of fear.
[Dmaj7]
Every cousin, every neighbor, every friend,
[A/C#]
When does the obligation ever end?
[Bm7]
Searching for that perfect thing, the one I know they'll prize,
[Gmaj7]
But I've got two weeks left and tears in my eyes.
Verse 1
[Dmaj7]
Is a gift card lazy? Is a handmade gift cheap?
[A/C#]
I just want to buy them something they can keep.
[Bm7]
But the prices are climbing, the sales are all a scam,
[Gmaj7]
Just one more item for the credit card slam.
Pre-Chorus
[Bm7]
It's the most stressful time of the year,
[Gmaj7]
When I spend all my money just to show I care.
[Dmaj7]
Paying the Santa Tax to the holiday debt,
[A7]
'Cause I still haven't finished, and I'm not ready yet!
[Bm7]
Oh, the Santa Tax, the Santa Tax,
[Gmaj7]
Fighting all the crowds until my spirit cracks.
[Dmaj7]
It's just the seasonal fee for a little Christmas cheer,
[A7]
A costly burden for the ones we hold so dear.
Chorus
[Bm7]
Parked three blocks out by the grocery store sign,
[Gmaj7]
To stand in a returns line that wraps all the way behind.
[Dmaj7]
Elbowing strangers for the last video game,
[A7]
It's not goodwill toward men, it's a frantic, stressed-out game.
[Bm7]
The aisles are a mess, the temperature's too hot,
[Gmaj7]
I just want to find the sweater that they said they hadn't got.
[Dmaj7]
My mind is overloaded, decision-making fails,
[A7]
I'm blinded by the sparkle of the ten-for-one sales.
Verse 2
[Dmaj7]
Is a gift card lazy? Is a handmade gift cheap?
[A/C#]
I just want to buy them something they can keep.
[Bm7]
But the prices are climbing, the sales are all a scam,
[Gmaj7]
Just one more item for the credit card slam.
Pre-Chorus
[Bm7]
It's the most stressful time of the year,
[Gmaj7]
When I spend all my money just to show I care.
[Dmaj7]
Paying the Santa Tax to the holiday debt,
[A7]
'Cause I still haven't finished, and I'm not ready yet!
[Bm7]
Oh, the Santa Tax, the Santa Tax,
[Gmaj7]
Fighting all the crowds until my spirit cracks.
[Dmaj7]
It's just the seasonal fee for a little Christmas cheer,
[A7]
A costly burden for the ones we hold so dear.
Bridge
[Em7]
I ordered it online with only six days left,
[Bm7]
The tracking information leaves me quite bereft.
[Gmaj7]
It says "Processing, delayed, pending in a far-off town,"
[A7]
If it's late for Christmas morning, my whole world will fall down!
[Em7]
The wrong size, the wrong color, the item that's out of stock,
[Bm7]
I should have just put cash right in a simple little sock.
[Final Chorus]
[Bm7]
It's the most stressful time of the year,
[Gmaj7]
When I spend all my money just to show I care.
[Dmaj7]
Paying the Santa Tax to the holiday debt,
[A7]
'Cause I still haven't finished, and I'm not ready yet!
[Bm7]
Oh, the Santa Tax, the Santa Tax,
[Gmaj7]
Fighting all the crowds until my spirit cracks.
[Dmaj7]
It's just the seasonal fee for a little Christmas cheer,
[A7]
A costly burden for the ones we hold so dear.
