Luther Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer,… Read Full Bio ↴Luther Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Throughout his career, Vandross was an in-demand background vocalist for several different artists including Todd Rundgren, Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Ben E. King, and Donna Summer. He later became a lead singer of the group Change, which released its gold-certified debut album, The Glow of Love, in 1980 on Warner/RFC Records. After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981.

His hit songs include "Never Too Much", "Here and Now", "Any Love", "Power of Love/Love Power", "I Can Make It Better" and "For You to Love". Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as "If This World Were Mine" (duet with Cheryl Lynn), "Since I Lost My Baby", "Superstar" and "Always and Forever". Duets such as "The Closer I Get to You" with Beyoncé, "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson were all hit songs in his career.

During his career, Vandross sold over 35 million records worldwide, and received eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four different times. He won a total of four Grammy Awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for a song recorded not long before his death, "Dance with My Father".

Possessing a tenor vocal range, Vandross was commonly referred to as "The Velvet Voice" in reference to his exceptional vocal talent, and was sometimes called "The Best Voice of a Generation". He was also regarded as the "Pavarotti of Pop" by many critics.

In 2008, Vandross was ranked No. 54 on Rolling Stone Magazine's List of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Mariah Carey stated several times in interviews that standing next to Vandross while recording their duet "Endless Love" was intimidating.

By popular vote, Vandross was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012.

Please Come Home For Christmas
Luther Vandross Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

At Christmas Eve, tomorrow's near
I hope that love will bring you here, home for a while
I'll make the best of what's for me
But I would love you here to be holding me now

How I wish that you and I and love could be close
'Cause the holidays are when I need you most, so
Another year, another chance

A different song, a different dance
For us to try

Please come home for Christmas (I don't want it this way)
Please come home for Christmas (and stay)

Good morning love, it's me again
As Christmas day begins again, I think of you
I know that time has passed us by
I tell myself to stop but I still dream it's true

How I dream that you and I and love could be one
'Cause Christmas time should never be lonesome
Remember when our love began
You held my heart, I held you hand
Ready to fly

Please come home for Christmas (I don't want it this way)
Please come home for Christmas (and stay)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Luther Vandross's song Please Come Home for Christmas are a plea for a loved one to return home for the holidays. The first verse speaks of the anticipation for Christmas day, and the hope that the power of love will bring the missing person back. The singer acknowledges that they will make the best of the situation, but ultimately desires to be held by the one they love. The pre-chorus reveals the true pain and longing of the singer during the holiday season. They wish that they could be close with their loved one and share in the joy of the holidays together.

The second verse starts with a hopeful greeting on Christmas day, but the singer quickly reminisces on the past and regrets the time that has passed them by. They dream of rekindling the love they once shared and wish that they could be reunited. The singer reflects on their past experiences with their love, remembering how they both were ready to fly together. The chorus continues to plead for their loved one to come home for Christmas, not wanting to spend the holidays alone.

The song's poignant lyrics and Luther Vandross's soulful voice have made this rendition one of the most beloved versions of the festive classic. The song has also garnered widespread popularity, thanks in part to several notable covers by artists such as Charles Brown, Bon Jovi, and Eagles.

Line by Line Meaning

At Christmas Eve, tomorrow's near
As it is almost Christmas, the thought of being with you becomes stronger

I hope that love will bring you here, home for a while
My only hope is that the love we shared will reunite us for a joyful time at home

I'll make the best of what's for me
Although things may not be ideal, I'll try to make the most of the situation

But I would love you here to be holding me now
I yearn to feel your embrace and be comforted by your love right now

How I wish that you and I and love could be close
I desire to be with the one I love, experiencing a deep connection during the festive season

'Cause the holidays are when I need you most, so
The holidays accentuate the feeling of longing and make me realize how much I miss you

Another year, another chance
Every year presents an opportunity to try and reconcile our love

A different song, a different dance
The past may be gone, but we can still create new memories and experiences

For us to try
We should give ourselves a chance to experience love together once again

Please come home for Christmas (I don't want it this way)
I don't want to spend Christmas alone, please come back to me

Please come home for Christmas (and stay)
I want you to come back and stay with me, not just for the holidays, but forever

Good morning love, it's me again
As the day begins, I wake up with thoughts of you on my mind

As Christmas day begins again, I think of you
My mind is consumed with thoughts of you as the day commences on this special occasion

I know that time has passed us by
Although time has moved forward, my love for you remains unchanged

I tell myself to stop but I still dream it's true
I try to convince myself to move on, but I still hold onto the fantasy of being with you

How I dream that you and I and love could be one
I have a deep longing in my heart to be reunited with you and to experience the love that we once shared

'Cause Christmas time should never be lonesome
The holidays should be a time of joy, togetherness, and love, but being away from you makes me feel lonely

Remember when our love began
Our love story is a special memory, and it deserves to be cherished and remembered

You held my heart, I held you hand
Our love was a two-way street, and we both held each other's hearts with great care and affection

Ready to fly
We were once in love, and we should be open to the possibility of rekindling that love once again

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Mose Brown, Gene Redd

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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