About The Song
“Last Christmas” is a song by British pop duo Wham! Written and produced by George Michael, it was released on 3 December 1984 via CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side via Epic Records with “Everything She Wants” in several European countries. The song has been covered by many artists since its original release, including Whigfield, Crazy Frog, Billie Piper, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande.
Upon its initial release in 1984, “Last Christmas” spent five consecutive weeks at number two in the UK Singles Chart—it was held off the top spot at Christmas by Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (on which Michael also performed). After many chart runs in subsequent years, which included three more weeks at number two, and which saw the recording become part of RCA Records’ catalogue, the song finally reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on New Year’s Day 2021 (chart week ending date 7 January 2021), more than 36 years after its initial release; in doing so, it became the fifth UK number one single for the duo. Prior to it reaching number one, “Last Christmas” had for many years held the record as the highest-selling single never to top the charts by the Official Charts Company (OCC) with 1.9 million copies sold (not including streams). This record is now held by “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. The song reached number one in the UK after it was streamed 9.2 million times in the last week of 2020 and sold 1,555 downloads, resulting in a total of 40,149 combined sales. Having been the Christmas number two again in 2022, “Last Christmas” finally achieved the accolade of Christmas number one in 2023, 39 years after its initial release. Combining sales and streams, it also became the third biggest song of all time in the UK.
Outside the United Kingdom, the song topped the charts in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Slovenia and Sweden, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in several countries including Australia, Canada and the United States. Wham! donated all of their royalties to relief efforts for the Ethiopian famine. In a UK-wide poll in December 2012, it was voted eighth on the ITV television special The Nation’s Favourite Christmas Song and was voted most popular song of the 1980s in Channel 5’s Christmas 2020 countdown Britain’s Favourite 80’s Songs. It was the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK until it was overtaken by “Fairytale of New York” in 2011
Video
Lyrics
Last Christmas I gave you my heart,
But the very next day you gave it away.
This year, to save me from tears,
I’ll give it to someone special.
Last Christmas I gave you my heart,
But the very next day you gave it away.
This year, to save me from tears,
I’ll give it to someone special.
Once bitten and twice shy.
I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye.
Tell me baby, do you recognise me?
Well, it’s been a year, it doesn’t surprise me.
“Happy Christmas” I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying “I love you”, I meant it
Now I know what a fool I’ve been
But if you kissed me now, I know you’d fool me again.
Last Christmas I gave you my heart,
But the very next day you gave it away.
This year, to save me from tears,
I’ll give it to someone special.
Last Christmas I gave you my heart,
But the very next day you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone specia.
Oo – ooh