I'll Be Home for Christmas
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" | ||||
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File:I'll Be Home for Christmas Bing Crosby.jpg | ||||
Single by Bing Crosby | ||||
B-side | Danny Boy[1] | |||
Published | September 27, 1943[2] | by Charles Warren, Hollywood|||
Released | October 26, 1943 | |||
Recorded | October 1, 1943[3] | |||
Studio | Decca Recording Studio, Los Angeles, California[4] | |||
Length | 2:58 | |||
Label | Decca 18570[3] | |||
Composer(s) | Walter Kent | |||
Lyricist(s) | Kim Gannon, Buck Ram | |||
Bing Crosby singles chronology | ||||
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"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has since gone on to become a Christmas standard.[5][6]
Theme
The song is sung from the point of view of a soldier stationed overseas during World War II, writing a letter to his family. In the message, he tells his family he will be coming home and to prepare the holiday for him, and requests snow, mistletoe, and presents under the tree. The song ends on a melancholy note, with the soldier saying, "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams".[7][6] The flip side of the original recording (Decca 18570B) was "Danny Boy."[1]
Writing and copyright
The song was written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent. Songwriter and later producer and manager for The Platters, Buck Ram, who said he previously wrote a poem and song with the same title, was credited as a co-writer of the song following a lawsuit brought by Ram's publisher, Mills Music.[8] Bing Crosby's original 1943 release of the song on Decca Records listed only Walter Kent and Kim Gannon as the songwriters on the record label. Later pressings added the name of Buck Ram to the songwriting credit.
Bing Crosby recording
On October 1, 1943, Crosby recorded the song under the title "I'll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams)", with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra for Decca Records;[3] it was released as a 78 rpm single, Decca 18570A, Matrix #L3203, and reissued in 1946 as Decca 23779. Within a month of release, the song charted for 11 weeks, with a peak at number three. The next year, the song reached number 16 on the charts.[9]
The U.S. War Department also released Bing Crosby's performance of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" from the December 7, 1944, Kraft Music Hall[10] broadcast with the Henderson Choir, J.S.T., on V-Disc, as U.S. Army V-Disc No. 441-B and U.S. Navy V-Disc No. 221B, Matrix #VP1253-D5TC206.[11] The song from the broadcast has appeared in many Bing Crosby compilations.
The song touched the hearts of Americans, soldiers and civilians alike, in the midst of World War II, and it earned Crosby his fifth gold record. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" became the most requested song at Christmas U.S.O. shows.[6] The GI magazine Yank said Crosby "accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era".[5]
Despite the song's popularity with Americans at the front and at home, in the UK the BBC banned the song from broadcast, as the Corporation's management felt the lyrics might lower morale among British troops.[12][6]
Seventy-seven years after its original release, Bing Crosby's "I'll Be Home for Christmas" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (at number 50 on the chart dated January 2, 2021).[13]
Charts
Chart (1943–2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 50 |
US Best Sellers in Stores (Billboard)[15] | 3 |
US Hot 100 Recurrents (Billboard)[16] | 13 |
US Streaming Songs (Billboard)[17] | 30 |
US Holiday 100 (Billboard)[18] | 28 |
US Rolling Stone Top 100[19] | 23 |
Notable history and cover versions
Elvis Presley recorded the song in September 1957, and was featured on the LP Elvis' Christmas Album.
Singer Johnny Mathis also covered the song on his Merry Christmas album in 1958, which was the #2 Christmas album of 1963 and 1964 as there were no Christmas album rankings prior to 1963. In December 1965, astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, while on Gemini 7, requested "I'll Be Home for Christmas" be played for them by the NASA ground crew.[20] Since the incarnation of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, cover versions by American singers Camila Cabello, Kelly Clarkson and Josh Groban are the only versions of the song to enter the chart.
Kelly Clarkson version
Michael Bublé version
Brian McKnight version
Pentatonix version
Seth MacFarlane version
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Josh Groban version
Reba McEntire version
Rascal Flatts version
Sara Evans version
Elvis Presley and Carrie Underwood version
Camila Cabello version
|
Certifications and sales
Michael Bublé
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] | Silver | 200,000 |
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b "Decca 18570 (10-in. double-faced) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1943). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1943 1 Music New Series Vol 38 Pt 3. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
- ^ a b c "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ "Decca matrix L 3203. I'll be home for Christmas / Bing Crosby - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ a b This article incorporates public domain material from I'll be home for Christmas [Song Collection]. Library of Congress.
- ^ a b c d "Society What's the best Christmas song?". Maclean's. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
- ^ Collins, Ace (4 May 2010). Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. ISBN 9780310873877. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- ^ "The Jews Who Wrote Christmas Songs". InterfaithFamily.com. 28 December 2012.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 109. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ Pairpoint, Lionel. "And Here's Bing!". BING magazine. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ Rodriguez McRobbie, Linda (18 April 2013). "11 Reasons the BBC Has Banned Hit Songs". Mental Floss. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "The Hot 100: The week of January 2, 2021". billboard.com. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "Bing Crosby Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ "Song Collection: I'll Be Home for Christmas". Library of Congress. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Bing Crosby Chart History (Hot 100 Recurrents)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Bing Crosby Chart History (Streaming Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
- ^ "Bing Crosby Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
- ^ congress, library of. "I'll Be Home for Christmas". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ "Kelly Clarkson: I'll Be Home for Christmas" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 3 January 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1661. Australian Recording Industry Association. 3 January 2022. p. 4.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Michael Bublé – I'll Be Home for Christmas" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ "Michael Bublé – I'll Be Home for Christmas". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "Michael Bublé – I'll Be Home for Christmas". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Buble Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Michael Buble Chart History (Jazz Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Brian McKnight Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Pentatonix Chart History (Holiday Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Seth MacFarlane Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Josh Groban Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Josh Groban Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Josh Groban Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Josh Groban Chart History (Christian AC Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Rascal Flatts Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Sara Evans Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Camila Cabello Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
- ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 52" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ "Camila Cabello Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
- ^ "Camila Cabello Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "British single certifications – Michael Buble – I'll Be Home for Christmas". British Phonographic Industry.
Sources
- This article incorporates public domain material from I'll be home for Christmas [Song Collection]. Library of Congress.
- Ewen, David, ed. (1966). American popular songs from the Revolutionary War to the present. New York: Random House. Call number: ML128 .N3 E9.
- Whitburn, Joel (1994). Joel Whitburn's pop hits, 1940-1954: compiled from Billboard's pop singles charts 1940-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. Call number: ML156.4 .P6 W495 1994.
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- American Christmas songs
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