I'll Be Home for Christmas
Elvis Presley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents for the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light leads
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
(I'll be home for Christmas)
In Elvis Presley's classic holiday song, "I'll Be Home for Christmas," the lyrics capture the longing of a soldier who is unable to spend Christmas at home. The opening lines, "I'll be home for Christmas, you can plan on me," express the speaker's assurance to those at home that, even if he can't physically be there, his heart and mind will be. The mention of "snow and mistletoe" and "presents for the tree" serve as reminders of home and family traditions that the speaker is missing.
The second half of the song takes on an even more poignant tone, with the speaker acknowledging that he may only be able to return "if only in [his] dreams." The line "Christmas Eve will find me where the love light leads" adds a sense of hope, suggesting that the love and warmth of family may still reach the speaker, even across the miles. Overall, the song taps into the loneliness and longing that many people feel during the holiday season, especially those who are separated from loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be home for Christmas
No matter where I am, I'll do whatever it takes to be with you on Christmas Day.
You can plan on me
You can rely on me to keep my promise that I will be home for Christmas.
Please have snow and mistletoe
I hope that while I'm away, you can have a beautiful and festive holiday with all the traditional decorations.
And presents for the tree
Don't forget to place presents under the tree for me to open when I return home.
Christmas Eve will find me
I will spend Christmas Eve with the person I love most.
Where the love light leads
I will follow my heart to wherever my love is and cherish every moment with them.
If only in my dreams
Even if I can't physically be with you on Christmas, I will be with you in spirit, thinking of you and dreaming of being together.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buck Ram, Walter Kent, Kim Gannon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Read Full BioElvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".
Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number one hit in the United States. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, made him enormously popular—and controversial.
In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. Years of prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate, just 42 years of age.
Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, blues, and gospel, he is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He won three competitive Grammys, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.
Shelly K
This is so beautiful!Elvis had it all!There will never be another Elvis in this lifetime.😊😥❤
jimbodeek
That's why he's called the King.
isaiah bell
Or in any lifetime.
Jessica Harris
Nor in any other.
meldridge51
God what a beautiful voice! Hearing Elvis Presley singing makes me cry! I’m now 84 and as kids we got to play hide and seek while living in the projects! His mom would call him to come in to eat! Wow! What a voice!
Jessica Harris
So lucky to have known him.
Mr M
Wow!!! You actually knew him as kids? Incredible
prlover91
This is one of my favorite Christmas songs by Elvis Presley and it really touch my heart and gave me a lot memories with my Dad and my youngest sister..
Kevdog rudi
Its my favorite as well. I also love Jim Reeves Silent Night.
Kevdog rudi
I'm 54 . Have 2 daughters and 1 grandson. This is my favorite Christmas song of all. By the best singer and prefomer of them all. Miss you King 💔🤟