I'll Be Home for Christmas

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 "on" the tree. The song ends on a melancholy note, with the soldier saying, "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams". The flip side of the original recording (Decca 18570B) was "Danny Boy".

Writing and copyright

The song was written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent. Songwriter Buck Ram, known for his hits including "Only You", "The Great Pretender", "Twilight Time", and "The Magic Touch", wrote the original lyrics in 1922, while a student at the University of Illinois, as a poem for his mother. Kent and Gannon were acquaintances, and the three discussed the song during a chance meeting in a bar in 1941. A songwriter, producer and manager for groups that included the Platters, the Penguins, and the Flares, Ram was credited as a co-writer as a result of a lawsuit brought by his publisher, Mills Music. 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; 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.

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 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. The song from the broadcast has appeared in many Bing Crosby compilations.

In the midst of World War II, the song touched the hearts of Americans, both soldiers and civilians, 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. The GI magazine Yank said Crosby "accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era".

by the U.S. Army of "White Christmas" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Bing Crosby as No. 441B]]

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.

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).

Charts

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 No. 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. Since the incarnation of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, cover versions by Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello and American singers Kelly Clarkson and Josh Groban are the only versions of the song to enter the chart.

American rock band the Killers recorded a cover of the song in 2016 for their Christmas compilation album Don't Waste Your Wishes, which featured "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as well as 10 other Christmas songs recorded by the Killers from 2006 to 2015.

Kelly Clarkson version

Michael Bublé version

Brian McKnight version

Pentatonix version

Seth MacFarlane version

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

References

Sources

• Call number: ML128 .N3 E9.
• Call number: ML156.4 .P6 W495 1994.

References

1. Library of Congress. Copyright Office.. (1943). "Catalog of Copyright Entries 1943 1 Music New Series Vol 38 Pt 3". U.S. Govt. Print. Off..
2. "Decca matrix L 3203. I'll be home for Christmas / Bing Crosby – Discography of American Historical Recordings".
3. "I'll be home for Christmas [Song Collection]".
4. (December 18, 2019). "Society What's the best Christmas song?". Maclean's.
5. Collins, Ace. (May 4, 2010). "Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas".
6. "Decca 18570 (10-in. double-faced) - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
7. (December 28, 2012). "The Jews Who Wrote Christmas Songs".
8. "A Bing Crosby Discography". International Club Crosby.
9. (1986). "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954". Record Research Inc.
10. "And Here's Bing!".
11. "A Bing Crosby Discography". International Club Crosby.
12. (April 18, 2013). "11 Reasons the BBC Has Banned Hit Songs".
13. "The Hot 100: The week of January 2, 2021". billboard.com.
14. "Song Collection: I'll Be Home for Christmas". [[Library of Congress]].
15. "Bing Crosby Chart History (Hot 100 Recurrents)".
16. "Bing Crosby Chart History (Streaming Songs)".
17. "Bing Crosby Chart History (Holiday 100)".
18. (December 24, 2020). "Top 100 Songs".
19. "I'll Be Home for Christmas". The Library of Congress.
20. "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Holiday 100)".
21. (January 3, 2022). "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 3 January 2022". [[Australian Recording Industry Association]].
22. "Michael Buble Chart History (Holiday 100)".
23. "Michael Buble Chart History (Jazz Digital Song Sales)".
24. "Pentatonix Chart History (Holiday Digital Song Sales)".
25. "Josh Groban Chart History (Christian AC Songs)".
26. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 52". [[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana]].
27. "Camila Cabello Chart History (Holiday 100)".