In the late 1940s a rising demand for blues was driven by an increasing white teenage audience in the South which quickly spread north and west. Blues shouters got the attention, but also greatly influential was what writer Charles Keil dubbs "the postwar Texas clean-up movement in blues" led by stylists such as T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn and Charles Brown. Their singing was lighter, more relaxed and they worked with bands and combos that had saxophone sections and used arrangements.
As a child Brown demonstrated his love of music and took classical piano lessons. Early on, Brown moved out to Los Angeles, where the great influx of blacks created an integrated nightclub scene in which black performers tended to minimize the rougher blues elements of their style. The blues club style of a light rhythm bass and right-hand tinkling of the piano and smooth vocals became popular, epitomized by the jazz piano of Nat King Cole. When Cole left Los Angeles to perform nationally, his place was taken by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown's gentle piano and vocals.
Brown signed with Aladdin Records and his 1945 recording on that label of the bestseller "Driftin' Blues" with a small combo was a typical club blues song. The single was on the R&B charts for six months, putting Brown at the forefront of a musical evolution that changed American musical performance. His style dominated the influential Southern California club scene on Central Avenue during that period and he influenced such performers as Floyd Dixon, Cecil Gant, Ivory Joe Hunter, Percy Mayfield, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles.
"Driftin'" was the first of several hits Brown subsequently released "Get Yourself Another Fool", "Black Night", "Hard Times" and "Trouble Blues", all major hits in the early 1950s on such labels as Modern Records as well as Alladin. He was unable to compete with the burgeoning rock and roll sound, though he maintained a small and devoted audience.
Brown's approach was too mellow to survive the transition to rock's harsher rhythms, and he faded from the national limelight. His Please Come Home for Christmas, a hit in 1960 on the King Records remained seasonally popular. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, he occasionally recorded and tried to regain some prominence. This continued until the 1980s, when Bonnie Raitt helped usher in a Charles Brown comeback tour.
He began a recording and performing career again, under the musical direction of guitarist Danny Caron, to greater success than he had achieved since the 1950s. Several records received Grammy Award nominations.
He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received both the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship and the W. C. Handy Award.
Brown died in 1999 in Oakland, California.
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Please Come Home For Christmas
Charles Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues
My baby's gone, I have no friends
To wish me greetings once again
Choirs will be singin' Silent Night
Christmas carols by candlelight
Please, come home for Christmas
If not for Christmas, by New Year's night
Friends and relations send salutations
Sure as the stars shine above
This is Christmas, yes, Christmas, my dear
The time of year to be with the one you love
Then won't you tell me, you'll never more roam
Christmas and New Year's will find you home
There'll be no more sorrow, no grief and pain
'Cause I'll be happy, happy once again
Ooh, no more sorrow, no grief and pain
'Cause I'll be happy, Christmas once again
The lyrics of Charles Brown's Please Come Home for Christmas convey the feelings of loneliness and longing for a loved one during the holiday season. The ringing bells and joyful festivities contrast with the singer's sadness as he misses his significant other who is no longer with him. He has no friends to share the holiday spirit with him and he wishes for the return of his loved one. The mention of choirs singing and Christmas carols being sung by candlelight create a peaceful atmosphere, but the singer still feels incomplete without his significant other.
The lyrics express the importance of being with loved ones during the holidays, especially during Christmas and New Year's. The singer urges his loved one to return home before the year ends and promises that there will be no more sorrow and pain once they reunite. The song emphasizes the significance of the holiday season in bringing people together and the power of love to heal broken hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
Bells will be ringing the glad, glad news
The joyful sound of bells ringing will signify Christmas is near.
Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues
It's a sad and lonely Christmas season for the singer without their loved one.
My baby's gone, I have no friends
The singer is feeling alone and abandoned without their significant other or any close friends.
To wish me greetings once again
No one is around to share holiday greetings and well wishes with the singer.
Choirs will be singin' Silent Night
A traditional hymn of the season will be sung by choirs.
Christmas carols by candlelight
Songs of Christmas will be sung in a peaceful, intimate environment.
Please, come home for Christmas
The singer is extending an emotional plea for their loved one to return home for Christmas.
Please, come home for Christmas
The singer is repeating their plea for their loved one to return home.
If not for Christmas, by New Year's night
The singer would be happy for their loved one to return home by New Year's Eve, if not Christmas.
Friends and relations send salutations
Friends and family are sending well wishes and messages of love to the singer.
Sure as the stars shine above
This is a certainty and an undeniable fact.
This is Christmas, yes, Christmas, my dear
The singer is acknowledging the holiday season and its significance to them.
The time of year to be with the one you love
Christmas is typically a time when people are with their loved ones and the singer wishes to be reunited with theirs.
Then won't you tell me, you'll never more roam
The singer is asking their loved one to promise that they will never leave again.
Christmas and New Year's will find you home
The singer is confident that their loved one will return for the holiday season.
There'll be no more sorrow, no grief and pain
The singer is hopeful that their loved one will return so they can be happy again.
'Cause I'll be happy, happy once again
The singer is expressing that their happiness is directly tied to the return of their loved one.
Ooh, no more sorrow, no grief and pain
The singer is excited about the possibility of their sadness and pain coming to an end.
'Cause I'll be happy, Christmas once again
The singer is expressing that the return of their loved one will make them truly happy once more during the Christmas season.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Mose Brown, Gene Redd
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ronaldlwhitaker3458
Another Christmas, 2023. Thank you Lord, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
@805livin4
My parents sort of abandoned me and my sister and my aunt adopted us up and made sure we never felt unloved but somewhere deep inside my heart I always felt empty and heartbroken for what my parents did every Christmas this song played and all I hoped for was for my parents to come for us but that hope was lost over time now that I’m a father of two I promise them I will never do the same to them that I will be there for them till I breathe my very last breath
@darlenemillner7159
So sad. Glad you had a loving aunt to take you in. Your children are blessed to have such a dedicated parent.
@saravielmas4354
I took in my 2 nieces, and I hope that I fill that void of not having their mom & dad. This is one of my Favorite Christmas Songs warms my heart> God Bless
@vVinstonSmith
I know this was last year, but I want you to know I went through the same thing. My grandparents took us in and now I take care of them. I feel like folks like us were always in a family. It's just a family we couldn't see and even if we could, it wouldn't look like a normal one. Just human beings being human. Love you friend! Merry Christmas!
@curtisdelhommer1153
Thank you for being a real man
@batman-telephoneman5479
@@saravielmas4354 St. Sara ❤️
@brendaizzard8936
I am 59yrsold still listening to this Christmas Carol song brings tears to my eyes I just can't hold it back so many memories and so many loves ones gone but I still love to hear this song thank you Mr Charles Brown.
@geraldboykin6159
My mom use to play this record back in the 60s. God bless her soul!
@ethel9194
I know what you're talking about I lost my husband 4 days before Christmas bring back memories.