Alwin Lopez Jarreau (12 March 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - 12 february 20… Read Full Bio ↴Alwin Lopez Jarreau (12 March 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - 12 february 2017, Los Angeles, California), known popularly as Al Jarreau, was an American, Grammy Award–winning jazz singer. Versatile in his singing style, Jarreau is a twelve-time Grammy-nominated vocalist and the only vocalist in history to win a Grammy Award in three separate categories: jazz, pop, and R&B.

As the son of a vicar, he had his first singing experiences in a church choir. He attended Ripon College, where he also sang non-professionally with a group called the Indigos, and graduated in 1962. He went on to earn a master's degree in Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Iowa, and worked as a rehabilitation counselor in San Francisco before joining a small jazz club trio headed by George Duke and deciding that he would make professional singing his life in 1968

He appeared in such Los Angeles hot spots as Dino's, the Troubador and Bitter End West. Television exposure came from Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin and David Frost, while he expanded his nightclub appearances to include performing at the Improv between the acts of such rising-star comics as Bette Midler, Jimmie Walker, and John Belushi, among others.

He was spotted by Warner Bros. in 1975 and soon thereafter released his critically acclaimed debut album, We Got By, which catapulted him into international fame and garnered him a German Grammy Award. A second German Grammy would follow with the release of his second album, Glow.

One of Jarreau's most commercially and artistically successful albums is Breakin' Away (1981), which includes the hit song "We're in This Love Together." He wrote and performed the Grammy-nominated theme to the 1980s American television show Moonlighting. Among other things, he is well-known for his scat singing and the ability to perfectly imitate conventional guitar, bass and percussive instrumentation. He was also a featured vocalist on USA for Africa's "We are the World" and sang the line, "...and so we all must lend a helping hand."

He has toured and performed with such greats as Joe Sample, Kathleen Battle, Miles Davis, David Sanborn and Rick Braun. He also performed the role of the Teen Angel in a 1996 Broadway production of Grease. On March 6, 2001 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.

I'll Be Home For Christmas
Al Jarreau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm dreaming tonight
Of a place that I love
Even more than 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 gleams
And I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

Please have snow
And mistletoe
And presents under the tree

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
And I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Al Jarreau's classic Christmas song "I'll Be Home For Christmas" communicate a profound sense of longing for home and family during the holiday season. Through the evocative language of dreaming, the singer expresses a deep nostalgia for a specific place that he loves, and admits that although he is far away and the journey home may be long and difficult, he will do everything in his power to make it back in time for Christmas.

The repetition of the phrase "please have snow and mistletoe and presents under the tree" underscores the importance of these traditional symbols in creating an atmosphere of warmth and joy during the holiday season, and further emphasizes the idea of a specific location and a sense of homecoming. Meanwhile, the image of the "love light" gleaming on Christmas Eve suggest the importance of familial love and connection, which the singer yearns to experience despite his physical distance from those he cares about.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm dreaming tonight
I'm imagining a scenario in my mind

Of a place that I love
A place where I have fond memories and find comfort

Even more than I usually do
My feelings are stronger than usual

And although I know
Despite the knowledge that

It's a long road back
The journey home will take a considerable amount of time

I promise you
I give you my word

I'll be home for Christmas
I'll return in time for the holiday

You can count on me
You can rely on me

Please have snow
I hope it snows

And mistletoe
I hope there's mistletoe

And presents under the tree
I hope there are gifts to open