I was shopping tonight at Trader Joe's and a cover version of that song came on. I held down the record button on my iPhone voice recorder and held it up to the speaker long enough to make a note. I forget whose version it was -- everybody has covered it -- even Bob Dylan tried to "uncover" it.
The song, originally the B-side of "White Christmas," was written in 1942 as a nod to soldiers who couldn't be home, but, more universally, to anyone who wanted to be home.
5 comments:
The accompaniment really captures the 1940's, IMO.
Probably the best popular Christmas tune.
The song touched the hearts of Americans, both soldiers and civilians, who were 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. Yank, the GI magazine, said Crosby "accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era".[citation needed]
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 that the lyrics might lower morale among British troops.[7]
Wikipedia
My favorite Crosby christmas tune is "Wonderful White World of Winter." Great schmaltzy lyrics.
@EMD: That one is on my Christmas playlist too -- though it's a bit "noninclusive" for nowadays, I suppose.
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