I Hate Christmas

" I Hate Christ mas " is sung by  Oscar the Grouch  to enumerate all the things about Christ mas that upset him. The song appeared in the special, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. He is so annoyed about it that he exits his trash can  & walks around the street wreaking havoc. He topples Bob's pile of Christmas presents, destroys a band player's glockenspiel, & changes Mr. Hooper's "Noel" sign to read "No." It was later rewritten, but some lyrics remained, for Elmo 's Christmas Countdown, where Stiller the Elf sings new verses about counting down to Christ mas.

Audio

 * Merry Christ mas from Sesame Street (1975)
 * Christ mas on Sesame Street (1986)
 * A Sesame Street Christ mas (1995)

Video

 * Christ mas Eve on Sesame Street (1978)

Publications

 * A Sesame Street Christ mas (1982)

Online

 * Sesamestreet.org
 * Sesame Street's YouTube Channel

Lyrics
[singing]

 I can't think of anything that's dumber.

To a Grouch, Christ mas is a bummer!

Beaming faces everywhere.

Happiness is in the air.

 I 'm tellin' you, it isn't fair!

 I Hate Christ mas !

( Oscar hits Maria in the back with a snowball as she walks by. Next he goes over to Susan, Gordon, & some kids by the steps.]

People loaded with good will

''Giving presents. What a thrill!''

( Oscar hands a girl a newspaper-wrapped package with brown stuff dripping from it.]

That slushy nonsense makes me  ill.

 I Hate Christ mas !

[Bob comes out of a door, still carrying a tall stack of presents.]

 I 'd rather have a holiday like normal Grouches do.

Instead of getting presents, they take presents back from you!

( Oscar grabs 1 of the presents from Bob, making him drop the whole stack. A sound of breaking glass is heard.]

Here comes Santa, girls & boys!

So who needs that big red noise?

 I 'll tell him where to leave his toys.

 I Hate Christ mas !

[speaking as he heads toward the store]

& if ya want the truth, I  ain’t so crazy about Thanksgiving or Labor Day either!

[On the album, this line is: "& if ya want the truth, I  ain't so crazy about Easter & Labor Day either!"]

[Scene changes to inside Hooper's Store, where a huge Christ mas wreath is on the wall. Underneath it, Mr. Hooper is hanging a string with the word NOEL dangling from it in paper letters of silver & red.]

 Christ mas carols to be sung.

Decorations to be hung.

''Oh, yeah? Well, I  stick out my tongue!''

( Oscar tears the E & L off, leaving the word NO.]

 I Hate Christ mas !

[Scene changes to outside the store & the Fix-It Shop, where 3 musicians are playin somethin that sounds like "Joy to the World" & "The 12 Days of Christ mas ". In front of them is a kettle on a tripod like 1 at the Salvation Army. 2 kids walk by, each droppin somethin in the pot. Oscar comes up.]

Christmas bells play loud & strong.

Hurts my ears, all that ding-dong.

Besides, it goes on much too long!

( Oscar pulls half the bars off a sort of hand-held xylophone.]

 I Hate Christ mas !

[Linda, Maria, & 2 kids are under the store's awning, exchanging gifts. A broom sticks up behind them.]

 I 'd rather have a holiday with a lot less joy & flash

With a lot less cheerful smiling, & a lot more dirty trash, yeah!

( Oscar brushes the awning with the broom, making a load of snow fall on them. Next minute, he & his  trash can  are back in their usual spot.]

Christmas Day is almost here.

When it’s over, then I  cheer!

 I 'm glad it’s only once a year.

 I Hate Christ mas !

(The album version has this added spoken line:)

& whoever hung that mistetoe over my trash can, well,  I  say, "Phooey!" & "Bah humbug!"

( Oscar goes into his  trash can  & slams the lid behind him.)