Franks grew up in southern California with his father Gerald, his mother Betty and younger sister Christine who is the mother of Connor Sullivan (The lead singer of The Royal Nonesuch). Although no one in his family played music, his parents loved swing music and his early influences included Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Johnny Mercer. At age 14 Franks bought his first guitar, a Japanese Marco Polo for $29.95 with six private lessons included - the only music education that he received.
At University High in Irvine, Franks discovered the poetry of Theodore Roethke with his off-rhymes and hidden meter. In high school, he began singing folk-rock, accompanying himself on guitar. Studying English at UCLA Michael discovered Dave Brubeck, Patti Page, Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Miles Davis. He never studied music in college or later, but earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA in comparative literature in 1966 and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Oregon in 1968. He had a teaching assistantship in a Ph.D. program in American literature at the University of Montreal before returning to teach part-time at UCLA.
During this time Franks started writing songs, starting with the antiwar musical Anthems in E-flat starring Mark Hamill. He also composed music for the films Count Your Bullets, Cockfighter, and Zandy's Bride, starring Liv Ullmann and Gene Hackman. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee recorded three of his songs, including "White Boy Lost in the Blues" on their album Sonny & Brownie. Franks played guitar, banjo and mandolin on the album and joined them in touring. In 1973, he recorded an eponymous album, later reissued as Previously Unavailable, which included the minor hit "Can't Seem to Shake This Rock 'n Roll".
In 1975 Franks released his second album The Art of Tea, beginning a long relationship with Warner Brothers Music. The Art of Tea featured Joe Sample, Larry Carlton and Wilton Felder of The Crusaders and included the hit song "Popsicle Toes". His third album, Sleeping Gypsy (1977), which includes the song "The Lady Wants to Know", was partially recorded in Brazil. Around this time, percussionist Ray Armando gave Franks a cabasa, which became a signature instrument for him to play on stage when he was not playing guitar. Burchfield Nines (1978), which includes the song "When the Cookie Jar Is Empty", reflects his move to New York City and features more of an East Coast sound. Since then, Franks has recorded more than 15 albums.
His best known works include "When I Give My Love to You", "Popsicle Toes", "Monkey See, Monkey Do", "Tiger in the Rain", "Rainy Night in Tokyo", and "Tell Me All About It". His biggest hit came in 1983 with "When Sly Calls (Don't Touch That Phone)" from the album Passionfruit. Radio hits include "Your Secret's Safe With Me" from 1985's Skin Dive, and "Island Life" from 1987s The Camera Never Lies.
Island Christmas
Michael Franks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can peel you a banana, if your heart desires
I want an island Christmas this year
I need an island Christmas this year
I want no more Christmas Carols counting birds up in pear trees
I want you to smear some sunscreen, all over me
I want an island Christmas this year
I need an island Christmas this year
Pack that see-through summer dress, you wore last summer
Just let me, kidnap you
Underneath the coco palms on Christmas morn
So slowly, I'll unwrap you
Pack that see-through summer dress, you wore last summer
Just let me, kidnap you
Underneath the coco palms on Christmas morn
So slowly, I'll unwrap you
Let's call up and buy those tickets
Quality not quantity
'Cause the greatest gift we have to give is you and me
We need an island Christmas this year
Let's have an island Christmas this year
We'll decorate a mango tree
And you can string some lights on me
No snow to shovel Christmas Day
We'll snorkle through a turquoise bay
While others plod through Jingle Bells
We'll roam the beach, collecting shells
I understand flannel pajamas
Are not allowed in the Bahamas
Handel's Messiah is far too long,
A repertoire for the steel drum
The lyrics describe the desire of the singer to have a Christmas that is not like the usual Christmas most people have experienced. Instead of the cold weather and snow, the singer wants an island Christmas with sun, sand, and sea. The use of the phrase "I don't want to smell those chestnuts roasting on an open fire" signifies the desire of the singer to have something different than traditional Christmas practices. The line "I can peel you a banana, if your heart desires" is an example of wordplay as the singer suggests that he can do something tropical rather than something commonly associated with the holiday season.
The singer wants to escape the monotonous activities during Christmas, such as singing carols and decorating trees. Instead, he wants to be with his partner in a tropical paradise, where they can enjoy the sun together. The desire to be with his partner is evident from the lyrics "Pack that see-through summer dress, you wore last summer, Just let me kidnap you, Underneath the coco palms on Christmas morn, So slowly, I'll unwrap you". The song is an expression of the singer's whimsical desire to have a Christmas that is away from the snow and cold and into the warmth and beauty of nature.
Overall, the song Island Christmas by Michael Franks is an expression of the desire for a different kind of Christmas- one that is out of the ordinary, and embraces summer's warmth and beauty. The lyrics describe an island paradise where the singer and his partner can escape the traditional Christmas activities they are used to and just appreciate each other's company.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to smell those chestnuts roasting on an open fire
I don't want to experience the traditional Christmas festivities
I can peel you a banana, if your heart desires
I would like to do something extraordinary for you
I want an island Christmas this year
I desire to have a different kind of Christmas celebration this year
I need an island Christmas this year
I think spending time on an island during Christmas will refresh me
I want no more Christmas Carols counting birds up in pear trees
I don't want to listen to the traditional Christmas Carols
I want you to smear some sunscreen, all over me
I want you to apply sunscreen so that we can enjoy our time outside
Pack that see-through summer dress, you wore last summer
I want you to pack the dress you wore last summer
Just let me, kidnap you
I want to spend all my time with you
Underneath the coco palms on Christmas morn
I want to spend an amazing Christmas morning with you, under the palm trees
So slowly, I'll unwrap you
I want to open your gifts at a relaxed pace
Let's call up and buy those tickets
We should buy the tickets and leave for an island soon
Quality not quantity
We should focus on how well we spend our time, rather than how much time we spend
'Cause the greatest gift we have to give is you and me
The time we spend together will be the greatest gift we will give each other
We need an island Christmas this year
Spending Christmas on an island will freshen our souls
Let's have an island Christmas this year
We should celebrate Christmas on an island this year
We'll decorate a mango tree
We should decorate a mango tree for Christmas
And you can string some lights on me
I want you to add lights on me in a fun way
No snow to shovel Christmas Day
We don't have to shovel snow on Christmas day
We'll snorkle through a turquoise bay
We will swim through a beautiful turquoise bay
While others plod through Jingle Bells
As others suffer through the traditional celebration, we'll be having fun in the sun
We'll roam the beach, collecting shells
We can walk on the beach and collect unique shells
I understand flannel pajamas
I know that flannel pajamas are not appropriate for an island Christmas
Are not allowed in the Bahamas
People are not allowed to wear flannel pajamas to the Bahamas
Handel's Messiah is far too long,
Handel's Messiah is long and might get boring
A repertoire for the steel drum
Steel drums would make a great substitute for Handel's Messiah
Contributed by Asher I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.