[Intro: walking bass and finger snaps, muted trumpet plays a short wry phrase] [Verse 1: solo voice, talk-singing, dry and amused] Another box outside the door Another charge I'll justify Apparently I'm saving money Every time I click on "buy" December says I'm worth it [pause] January disagrees [muted trumpet answers] I've turned December into Me-cember What's everybody want from me? [Chorus: full combo swinging, voice wry and steady] It's Me-cember, it's Me-cember Now the kids are grown and gone I've got time to kill and a credit card And free shipping all year long Pour me an eggnog, give it a little boost It's the season, don't you see Every tag says "to me, from me" Signed with love, sincerely, me [muted trumpet answers] [Verse 2: bass and piano, a little more reflective but still amused] The kids have lives in other places We work out when they can come I think of all the miles That my own folks must have done Granddad sleeping through the racket Then insisting he was not I'd roll my eyes at all their stories Now their stories are what I've got [Chorus: full combo swinging] It's Me-cember, it's Me-cember Now the kids are grown and gone I've got time to kill and a credit card And free shipping all year long Make that second eggnog a double It's the season, don't you see Every tag says "to me, from me" Signed with love, sincerely, me [muted trumpet answers] [Verse 3: band pulls back to bass and brushes, a grin in the voice, then softening] There's a picture on the fridge Of the twins on Santa's knee Both of them are screaming And Santa's miserable as can be They're grown and gone and doing fine I couldn't be more proud of them But I'd give back everything I bought this year To stand in that line again [Chorus: softer, piano and bass, swing relaxes, voice warm] I remember those Decembers Everybody crowding in All those coats across the bed And the kitchen full again I couldn't tell you what they bought me But I know who all was there We were always short of room Someone always found a chair [Bridge: piano alone, slower and free, voice close and direct] I thought December simply happened Like the weather turning cold They were making those Decembers I was too young to know [Final Chorus: combo swings back in, warm and easy, voice certain] I turned Me-cember back into December With whoever can get here Let the coats fall where they land Tell the stories every year I'm grateful now for all the trouble That they took to make it ours If the kids can stay till Sunday I won't be counting hours [Outro: band stops, voice almost spoken] That box outside the door I think I'll send it back [muted trumpet, one last wry note] [End: celesta plays a short music-box phrase alone] Lyrics © 2026 Paul Pfanner
