Faith was a band-leader, orchestrator, and composer best known for his arrangements of standard tunes using lush string sections and female choruses. The latter sometimes sang, most often they just vocalized without words.
Faith's live orchestra was a staple of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's live-music broadcasts from 1938 to 1940. After moving to the U.S., Faith made many recordings for Voice of America. After working briefly for Decca Records, he went to work for Mitch Miller at Columbia Records. There, he turned out dozens of albums and provided arrangements for many of the pop singers of the 1950s. The use of the female chorus really became a Percy Faith signature with his mid-late 1960's "Young Lovers" projects; it was also used in his final Holiday album, "Christmas Is," released in 1967.
Faith's most famous and best-remembered recordings are "Delicado" (1952), "Moulin Rouge" (1953) and "Theme from A Summer Place" (1960).
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Percy Faith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
Won't you please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree for me, for me
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
The lyrics of Percy Faith’s song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” evoke a sense of nostalgia, warmth, and longing for the comfort of home during the holiday season. The singer is addressing a loved one, assuring them that they will be present for Christmas despite any physical or emotional distance that may separate them. The singer encourages them to have classic holiday decorations – snow, mistletoe, presents under the tree – waiting for them upon their return.
The second verse emphasizes the idea of love and home as the ultimate holiday destination. The singer imagines themselves arriving on Christmas Eve, guided by the “love light gleaming” in their loved one’s home. The song culminates with the declaration that, even if the singer cannot physically make it home, they will be there in spirit, dreaming of a classic, heartwarming Christmas with their family.
Overall, the lyrics of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” paint a picture of hope, love, and longing for the familiar comforts of home during a time of year that emphasizes togetherness and family.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be home for Christmas
I promise to come home for Christmas
You can plan on me
You can count on me to be there
Please have snow and mistletoe
It would be wonderful if there was snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree
It would be lovely to have presents under the Christmas tree
Christmas Eve will find me
On Christmas Eve, that's where I'll be
Where the love light gleams
Where there's warmth, happiness and love
If only in my dreams
Even if I can't physically be there, I will be there in my thoughts and heart
Won't you please have snow and mistletoe
It would be nice if you could have snow and mistletoe too
And presents under the tree for me, for me
And don't forget to put some presents under the tree just for me
I'll be home for Christmas
I promise, I'll be there for Christmas
If only in my dreams
Even if I can't physically be there, I will be there in my thoughts and heart
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buck Ram, Walter Kent, Kim Gannon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind