Christmas 1984
Christmas 1984: A Dystopian Tale of Surveillance and Santa
Lyrics
There's a man who dresses up in red
Depiction of Santa Claus
Listening to everything you said
Observing and listening to people
His ear is pressed up to the door
Metaphorical closeness to people's lives
Christmas 1984
Reference to the year and setting
Knows if you've been acting bad or good
Understanding behavior, morality
Has surveillance of your neighborhood
Monitoring the community
He marks your name and keeps a score
Keeping track of actions
Christmas 1984
Specific reference to the year
He sees you when you're sleeping
Supernatural surveillance
He knows when you're awake
Constant awareness of behavior
He knows and he's been keeping
Observation and record-keeping
Track of your mistakes
Tracking mistakes and actions
In the north he's got a secret base
Reference to Santa's home location
Has his spies all over every place
Extensive network of observation
The Elves are rotten to the core
Criticism of Santa's helpers
Christmas 1984
Specific reference to the year
He sees you when you're sleeping
Reiteration of supernatural observation
He knows when you're awake
Continued awareness of behavior
He knows and he's been keeping
Repetition of observation and record-keeping
Track of your mistakes
Continued tracking of mistakes
Once a year he breaks into your house
Annual intrusion for gift-giving
Nobody knows a way to keep out
No defense against Santa's visit
About as welcome as a war
Unwelcome intrusion likened to conflict
Christmas 1984
Specific reference to the year
Not a nightmare and it's not a dream
Comparison to a totalitarian regime
A totalitarian regime
Loss of joy and freedom
No one is merry anymore
Emphasis on lack of happiness
Christmas 1984
Reiteration of the year and context
Christmas 1984
Repetition for emphasis
Christmas 1984
Reiteration for emphasis
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