All I Want For Christmas Is You | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Gmaj7 | Am7 D |
Intro verse (slow)
| G | G | G/B | G/B |
I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need.
| C | C | Eb6 | Eb6 |
I don’t care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree.
| G/D | G/D B7 | Em | Em Eb6 |
I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know.
| G/D | E7 | E7 | Am7 | D7b9 | D7b9 | D7b9 | D7b9 |
Make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas, is you.
Instrumental 1
| G | Em | C | D7 |
Yeah.
Verse 1 (a tempo)
| G | G | G | G |
I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need (and I).
| C | C | Eb6 | Eb6 |
Don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree.
| G | G | G | G |
I don’t need to hang my stocking, there upon the fireplace.
| C | C | Eb6 | Eb6 |
Santa Claus won’t make me happy with a toy on Christmas Day.
| G/D | G B7 | Em | Em Eb6 |
I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know.
| G/D | E7 | Am7 | D7 |
Make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you.
Instrumental 2
| G | Em | C | D7 |
You, baby.
Verse 2
Oh, I won’t ask for much this Christmas, I won’t even wish for snow (and I).
I’m just gonna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe.
I won’t make a list and send it, to the North Pole for Saint Nick.
I won’t even stay awake to hear those magic reindeer click.
‘Cause I just want you here tonight, holding on to me so tight.
What more can I do? Oh, baby, all I want for Christmas is you.
Instrumental 3
| G | Em | C | D7 |
You, baby.
Middle 8
| B7 | B7 | Em | Em |
Oh-oh, all the lights are shining so brightly everywhere (so brightly, baby).
| B7 | B7 | Em | Em |
And the sound of children’s laughter fills the air (oh, oh, yeah).
| Eb6 | Eb6 | G/D | E7 |
And everyone is singing (oh, yeah), I hear those sleigh bells ringing.
| Am9 | Am9 |
Santa, won’t you bring me the one I really need? (Yeah, oh).
| D7 | D7 |
Won’t you please bring my baby to me?
Verse 3 (shorter)
| G | G | G | G |
Oh, I don’t want a lot for Christmas, this is all I’m asking for.
| C | C | Eb6 | Eb6 |
I just wanna see my baby standing right outside my door.
| G/D | G B7 | Em | Em Eb6 |
Oh, I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know.
| G/D | E7 | Am7 | D7 |
Make my wish come true, oh baby, all I want for Christmas, is you.
Instrumental 4
| G | Em | C | D7 |
You, baby.
Outro
||: G | Em | Am7 | D6 D9 :||
All I want for Christmas is you, baby.
All I want for Christmas is you, baby.
All I want for Christmas is you, baby.
All I want for Christmas (all I really want) is you, baby.
All I want (I want) for Christmas (all I really want) is you, baby.
All I Want For Christmas Is You Chords: Break Down the Christmas Classic Progressions
The chords for All I Want for Christmas Is You are brimming with classic movements. Let’s break them down section by section, starting with the intro.
Intro
Before the vocals come in, the progression follows I–II–V. To see exactly how this can be played on guitar, check out the TAB lesson here: All I Want for Christmas – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Verse
The intro verse mirrors all subsequent verses, though it’s more drawn out in places. You can use the chords and lyrics above or refer to the chord chart below for precise details.
Here’s the first half of the verse chords, with Roman numeral analysis:
||: G (I) | G | G | G |
| C (IV) | C | Eb6 (titone sub) | Eb6 :||
- The progression begins with I–IV, followed by tension introduced by a tritone substitution.
- Instead of the tritone sub’s expected dominant 7 chord (Eb7), we play an Eb6, which adds a unique resolution.
- The Eb resolves beautifully to a G/D at the repeat.
The second half of the verse progresses as follows:
| G/D (I/5) | G (I) B7 (IIIx) | Em (VI) | Em Eb6 (tritone sube) |
| G/D (I/5) | E7 (VIx) | Am7 (II) | D7 (V) |
- The I chord with its 5th in the bass leads to the I–IIIx–VI progression, a classic move.
- This is followed by the same Eb6–G/D movement as earlier.
- The final three chords ascend using a VIx–II–V motion, a standard up-a-fourth progression.
Listen carefully to the IIIx and VIx chords as well as the II–V movement to capture the feel of the song.
Instrumental Section
After the verse, a quick instrumental section appears with a progression of I–VI–IV–V.
Bridge (Middle Eight)
I like calling this section the middle eight, as it only appears once in the song. Here are the chords:
||: B7 (IIIx) | B7 | Em (VI) | Em :||
| Eb6 | Eb6 | G/D | E7 |
| Am9 | Am9 | D7 | D7 |
- The bridge begins with a IIIx–VI loop, leading into the familiar chords from the verse.
- However, these chords are drawn out and extended for added depth.
In the TAB lesson, you’ll learn how to comp this section using the closest possible chord shapes. Once mastered, a chord chart might come in handy—it’s easy to forget something you only play during the holiday season!
All I Want For Christmas Is You Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
While not the most compact chart I’ve ever created, I managed to fit all the chords for All I Want for Christmas Is You on a single page. You can download the chart here: All I Want for Christmas Is You Chord Chart PDF.
This chart was created with iRealPro. Here’s a link: All I Want for Christmas Is You iReal Pro. With the app, you can transpose the key—perfect for singers who may need a lower pitch after too many Christmas gigs!
A Christmas Controversy
A few years before Mariah Carey released her universal holiday hit, another band, Vince Vance & The Valiants, released a song with the same title.
The two compositions differ significantly, except for the title and the melody of the main hook. Some might argue that the boogie-woogie piano and chord progression share similarities, but it’s unlikely this would hold up in court.
Still, the melody and lyrics of the hook are undeniably close. Did Mariah “steal” Christmas? Perhaps inspiration struck, but a small percentage—5–10%, perhaps—might rightfully belong to Vince Vance & The Valiants. What do you think?
All I Want For Christmas Is You Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
- Build Me Up Buttercup
- Fairytale of New York
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
- Last Christmas
- Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree