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The Leading Note Climax (3.19-3.22)
The icing on the Xmas cake is the way the melody fails to resolve as we might expect to its G tonic but instead closes quizzically on the leading note, F#, on the final note of "beg-un" (the last syllable of which is sung as three-note melisma F-D-F#). In this respect, the song shuns the songwriting theory dictating that a melody should cadence satisfyingly to its tonic (whether up a semitone, 7-to-8, or down a 3-2-1 'Three Blind Mice'-style descent).
Technically, the tune does feature a 'resolution to tonic' on each hearing of the chorus, as we climb 5-6-7-8 up the major scale ("so here it is") as each G chord reappears. And Noddy and Jim could conceivably have ended the song in melodic midstream on that phrase. But, of course, avoiding such conventional 'closure' perfectly complements the equally unresolved lyrical theme that tell us to "look to the future now it's a only just begun".
In this way both the words and the music combine to leave us with a sense of expectation, hope and challenge for the coming year.

Semantic stocking fillers
We can't finish without suggesting that the texture of the harmonium creates an innocent, almost fairground feel perfect for depicting the imagery of Santa Claus himself; while the shuffle beat of Don Powell's drums cleverly capture the canter of reindeers. Then there's Dave Hill's ballsy sus4 guitar embellishments (at 1.02) as the sleigh gets into its stride, and even some delicate cymbal tickles (at 0.38) that evoke the sound of falling icicles. And, surely, bassist Jim Lea's triadic arpeggiation of the bridge chords during that atmospheric drop in dynamics (0.46-0.53) paints St Nick carefully negotiating the rooftops as the punters slumber, oblivious to the action unfolding above.

Hang on, I think I can hear him coming down the chimney….

Dominic Pedler is a freelance writer and author of The Songwriting Secrets Of The Beatles (Omnibus Press)

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