Jesse first picked up a guitar early in his pre-teens and throughout his high-school years formed and played in various rock band incarnations, becoming a fixture on the “Battle of the Bands” circuit, covering all his idols of the time from Eddie Vedder to Scott Weiland to Rush. Following high-school he became disenchanted with the idea of playing cover tunes in a rock band and more enamored with the writing process, structure, melody, hooks and the idea of what makes a great pop song. This early love affair with pop music and “the song” has led Jesse down a long and sometimes lonely road but ultimately to his own unique voice.
In recent years there have been a series of “Perfect Accidents” that have led Jesse to the brink of his debut album release on Wax Records. Occurrences such as his CITY TV Speaker’s Corner performance, the broadcast of which generated several marriage proposals and a more serious email invitation from, at that time budding Canadian songstress Fefe Dobson to write with her and ultimately join her band. Or his chance meeting with Jay Levine (Philosopher Kings, Prozac) that led to a development deal with Arista Records. As well as his introduction to Dave Thomson while at Sony ATV where they became writing collaborators, which after taking separate paths, finds them now back together as artist and producer. It is these kind of serendipitous events that are a recurring theme in Jesse’s life and in his songwriting.
Jesse Labelle’s debut Wax Records release was recorded through August and September of 09 in Toronto and Nashville with producer Dave Thomson (Lights). When asked about his collaboration with Dave this time around Jesse relates “it was great to work with Dave again, we’ve been friends for a long time and have a mutual respect for each other’s strengths. Over the past few years Dave has really matured as a producer and I think I have matured as a songwriter so the recording process was the best it’s ever been, we were totally on the same page.”
Jesse’s debut release is comprised of a dozen songs that each stand alone as individual vignettes that tell their own story but have a common thread of love both lost and found running through them. Musically the album is big, big hooks, big sweeping chorus’ and big production, but lyrically it’s incredibly intimate reflecting a range of emotions that move from loss and vulnerability, to hope and strength.
“Lost Without You was the first real song I ever wrote”, states Jesse. “It came out pretty much fully formed.” Like those stories you hear about automatic writers or painters who enter an altered state and when they come out of it they’ve created something perfect and complete. “It’s like something just comes over you. That describes the songwriting process for me, most of my songs come that way”.
‘Australia’ is the story about two people who had been in a relationship, one of which decided they had to leave to find their own way. After being apart for some time they are about to meet again. The song is about anticipation and trepidation, excitement to meet again but fear that the one who left has changed and the connection may be irretrievably lost. Storytelling is central to Jesse’s writing. When asked why he says, “to me, human relationships are the only thing that matter in life, without that connection to others we are lost. I find that writing and singing about those relationships and experiences is sometimes much easier than talking about them.”
“Perfect Accident” came out of those earlier writing sessions with Dave Thomson. “This song is truly a collaboration with Dave and myself”, says Jesse. “Dave had this idea for a song and we sat down and fleshed it out together one afternoon”. The first radio single from Jesse’s debut release is about one of those moments that at first glance appears to be completely random but in hindsight was obviously meant to be and ultimately turns out to be one of those defining moments in a person’s life.
Jesse Labelle’s ability to make a real connection with the listener through his songs is what sets him apart. One thing is certain Jesse’s talent as a songwriter and performer is anything but an “accident”. It comes from years of honing his craft, scores of live performances and years of developing his skills as a gifted songwriter. His vision is clear and his feet are now firmly planted on the road to success.
Last Christmas
Jesse Labelle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the very next day, You gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, You gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance but you still catch my eye
Tell me baby do you recognize me?
Well it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me
(Happy Christmas!) I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying "I Love You" I meant it
Now I know what a fool I've been
But if you kissed me now I know you'd fool me again
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, You gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
(Ooh ooh baby)
A crowded room, friends with tired eyes
I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice
My God I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man undercover but you tore me apart
Ooh ooh
Now I've found a real love you'll never fool me again
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, You gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart (Gave you my heart)
A man undercover but you tore me apart, next year
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone special
Special, someone, someone
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone special
Who'll give me something in return
I'll give it to someone
Hold my heart and watch it burn
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone special
I've got you here to stay
I can love you for a day
I thought you were someone special
Gave you my heart
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
You gave it away
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone
Jesse Labelle's "Last Christmas" is a heartwrenching song about love and loss during the holiday season. The lyrics depict a failed past relationship where the singer gave their heart to someone who ultimately broke it. The song begins with the singer acknowledging that they had given their heart to their ex the previous Christmas but it had been given away the very next day. This year, the singer vows to give their heart to "someone special" in order to save themselves from tears.
The second verse describes the singer's current state of mind. They have been hurt before and have thus kept their distance from their ex but they still catch their eye. The singer wonders if their ex even recognizes them since it has been a year since they have spoken. The singer then reminisces about their past mistake of giving their heart to their ex and being a "fool". They acknowledge that if their ex were to kiss them now, it would be all too easy to be fooled again.
The third verse describes a crowded room where the singer is "hiding" from their ex who they now describe as having a "soul of ice". The singer had thought their ex was someone they could rely on but it turned out they were just a shoulder to cry on. The singer compares themselves to a face on a lover with a fire in their heart but their ex tore them apart. The song ends with the singer promising to give their heart to someone special who will reciprocate their love.
Overall, the lyrics of "Last Christmas" tell a story of heartbreak and moving on. The singer learns from their past mistake of giving their heart to someone who didn't deserve it and promises to find someone who will cherish it. The song is a reminder to not let past pain dictate future relationships and to hold out for someone who is truly "special".
Line by Line Meaning
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
Last year, I gave you all of my love.
But the very next day, You gave it away
However, you quickly gave it up and moved on.
This year, to save me from tears
To prevent myself from getting hurt again this year,
I'll give it to someone special
I will give my heart to someone who is truly deserving of it.
Once bitten and twice shy
I have been hurt before and am now hesitant to give my heart away again.
I keep my distance but you still catch my eye
Despite my efforts to stay away from you, I still feel attracted to you.
Tell me baby do you recognize me?
Do you remember me and our past relationship?
Well it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me
It's been a year since we were together, so it's understandable if you don't remember me.
(Happy Christmas!) I wrapped it up and sent it
I wrapped up my heart and sent it to you as a Christmas gift.
With a note saying "I Love You" I meant it
The note accompanying my heart expressed genuine love and affection.
Now I know what a fool I've been
Looking back, I realize that I was foolish to give you my heart so easily.
But if you kissed me now I know you'd fool me again
Despite my better judgement, I fear that I would still fall for you if we rekindled our relationship.
A crowded room, friends with tired eyes
In a crowded room, surrounded by friends who are exhausted.
I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice
I am avoiding you, who is cold-hearted and unfeeling.
My God I thought you were someone to rely on
I once believed that you were dependable and trustworthy.
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on
I was just someone you used as an emotional outlet.
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
I was a passionate lover, deeply in love with you.
A man undercover but you tore me apart
I was emotionally vulnerable around you, and you took advantage of that and broke my heart.
Now I've found a real love you'll never fool me again
I have found someone who truly cares for me and will never hurt me like you did.
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart (Gave you my heart)
I am still deeply passionate about love and ready to give my heart to the right person.
A man undercover but you tore me apart, next year
You broke me down and left me feeling like I needed to hide my true self from others. However, next year...
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone special
I will give my heart to someone who appreciates and deserves it, someone who is truly special.
Special, someone, someone
I am searching for someone who is truly special to share my love with.
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone special
I am determined to find someone who is deserving of my love and affection.
Who'll give me something in return
I am looking for someone who will also love and care for me in return.
I'll give it to someone
I will not let my past experiences of heartbreak stop me from loving again.
Hold my heart and watch it burn
I'm willing to take a risk and give someone else my heart, even if it means experiencing heartbreak again.
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone special
I am hopeful that I will find someone who is truly special and deserving of my love.
I've got you here to stay
In spite of all of the heartache and pain, you still hold a place in my heart.
I can love you for a day
I'm still capable of loving you, even if it's only for a brief moment.
I thought you were someone special
I once believed that you were the one I was meant to be with.
Gave you my heart
I gave you all of my love and affection.
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone
I will not let my past hold me back from finding love again and giving my heart to someone else.
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
One year ago, I gave you all of my love and affection.
You gave it away
You took my love for granted and quickly moved on to someone else.
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone
Despite my pain and heartbreak, I am still determined to find someone who is deserving of my love and give it all to them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@uthum1994
What an amazing voice.
@MsCookiemonster116
He performed at a free concert in my hometown yesterday!
@evabaker
MAN ALIVE... I happened to be listening to Chay fm when they played this song and have been looking for it ALL WEEK. Figured out what station I happened to be listening to, then tried to find it on their playlists (WHY is there no playlist on their website for last Monday night?? The only day missing!) Thankfully it came up as a result (near the bottom of the screen) when searching for "Last Christmas Chay." Super happy to have found it, worth the effort.
@angelcat19
I heard this on the radio :D
@tailblaze101
Best version of this song imho.
@MatJiowoo
original is better
@angelcat19
haven't heard all those other versions but I still love this song. I don't go out of my way to listen to most Christmas songs except for this and 98 Degrees' Christmas Wish.
@archernoob
same hear love this track
@Luc71
Once birrin