I’ll Be Home For Christmas

At the time of Christmas festival, it is the Christmas songs that help to bridge the gap that exists among the people. Christmas songs can be sung throughout the whole year. I'll be home for Christmas History is related to the year 1943, as it was during this year that this song became one of the most popular songs to be sung during the festival of Christmas.

This was written by Walter Kent (music) and James Kimball "Kim" Gannon (words). Though Kent and Gannon collaborated on other songs, none reached the same level of popularity as "I'll Be Home for Christmas."

I’ll Be Home For Christmas

Walter Kent (1911 - 1994) was a Jewis American composer, songwriter ("The White Cliffs of Dover", "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die") and architect, educated at Townsend Harris Hall, Juilliard (on scholarship), at City College of New York, and in private music study with Leopold Auer and Samuel Gardner. He was a practising architect and conducted his own orchestra on radio and in theatres. Coming to Hollywood in 1943 as a freelance architect, he also wrote the stage score for "Seventeen".

Walter Kent

James Kimball "Kim" Gannon (1900 –1974) was an American songwriter, more commonly a lyricist than a composer. He graduated from St. Lawrence University and, intending to become a lawyer. In 1939 he wrote his first song, For Tonight. His 1942 song, Moonlight Cocktail, was recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and was the best selling record in the United States for 10 weeks. In 1942 he began writing songs for films, beginning with the lyrics of the title song for Always in My Heart. He subsequently contributed songs to other films, including Powers Girl and If Winter Comes. In 1951 he turned to the Broadway stage, joining with composer Walter Kent to write the score for Seventeen.

James Kimball "Kim" Gannon

The song I'll Be Home for Christmas is sung from the point of view of an overseas soldier and civilians during WWII, writing a letter to his family. In the message, he tells the family that he will be coming home, and to prepare the holiday for him including requests for "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."

I' ll Be Home For Christmas

We come to know from the, The Library of 'Patriotic Melodies' was recorded by none other than by Bing Crosby with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra for Decca Records on 4th October. Within a month of its recording this song hit the music charts and remained in its number three position for a consecutive period of 11 weeks, and after those eleven weeks though its position shifted from number three to number 19, its popularity never faced a decline. This song helped Crosby to earn his fifth gold record.

Bing Crosby

A multimedia star, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby was a leader in record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses. His trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation.

According to the Reader's Digest Merry Christmas Songbook (1981}, the song touched the hearts of the many American people, especially those who were then in the depths of the World War II would be away from family friends as well as relatives during the festival of Christmas. People requested Crosby to sing this song again and again at the Christmas U.S.O shows which took place in Europe and Pacific.

Bing Crosby

Yank, the GI magazine, said Crosby "accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era".

Christmas, Italy 1943

In December 1965, when the astronauts Frank Borman and James Lovell were returning to Earth after setting a record for the longest flight in the US space program aboard Gemini 7 spacecraft, they requested this carol to be played for them.

Later I'll be home for Christmas was recorded by many, many artists.

I'll be home for Christmas, lyrics

I'm dreamin' tonight of a place I love
Even more then I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams

I' ll Be Home For Christmas