In the Christmas song “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” Santa makes and checks a list twice.
The lyric describes Santa as monitoring children’s behavior before his visit. The repeated list image connects the song to a widespread Santa tradition: children are told that Santa distinguishes between those who are “naughty” and those who are “nice” when deciding who receives presents.
J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie wrote the song in 1934. Eddie Cantor introduced it on his radio show that year, and it quickly became a major seasonal standard. Its storyline combines surveillance, anticipation, and the promise of Santa’s arrival.
The song’s list is fictional rather than part of a historical account of Saint Nicholas. It is one of several modern narrative devices—alongside the North Pole workshop, magical sleigh, and chimney entrance—that help organize the Santa Claus story for children.