In 1981, Cetera released his first solo album on Warner Bros. Records. The album was a commercial failure, which Cetera has attributed to Warner Bros.' refusal to promote him as a solo artist out of fear that he would leave Chicago, who had only recently signed with the label.
In 1985, Cetera was interested in recording another solo album. He had stated his lack of interest for the extensive touring schedule of the band. When the 17 Tour concluded in late-April 1985, Chicago's management, along with several members of the band, had expressed a desire to book another tour for that summer and start work on the next Chicago album.
Cetera insisted that they take a break from touring so that he could concentrate on a solo album and spend more time with his family. After the band rejected his offer to stay in the band while recording a solo album, it was announced that Cetera and Chicago would go their separate ways in July 1985.
Almost immediately, Cetera continued his streak of success. His first single, "Glory of Love" (the theme to the movie The Karate Kid, Part II), was a US No. 1 hit in 1986, and achieved similar success throughout the world.
He has many hits, such as:
1982 - "Livin' In The Limelight" #6 (Mainstream Rock) US
1986 - "Glory of Love" #1 US, #1 (Adult Contemporary) US, #3 UK (also appears on the soundtrack to The Karate Kid, Part II)
1986 - "The Next Time I Fall" (with Amy Grant) #1 US, #1 (Adult Contemporary) US, #78 UK
1987 - "Only Love Knows Why" #24 (Adult Contemporary) US
1987 - "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)" (with Agnetha Fältskog) #93 US, #19 (Adult Contemporary) US
1988 - "One Good Woman" #4 US, #1 (Adult Contemporary) US, #82 UK
1992 - "Restless Heart" #35 US, #1 (Adult Contemporary) US
1993 - "Even A Fool Can See" #68 US, #3 (Adult Contemporary) US
1995 - "(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight" (with Crystal Bernard) #86 US, #22 (Adult Contemporary) US
1997 - "Do You Love Me That Much" #6 (Adult Contemporary) US
Deck The Halls
Peter Cetera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tis the season to be jolly
Don we now our gay apparel
Troll the ancient Yuledite carol
See the blazing youle before us
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Follow me in merry measure
While I tell of yuletide treasure
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Fast away the old years passes
Hail the new, ye las and lasses
Sing we joyous, all together
Heedless of the wind and weather
Fa la la la la, la la la la
The lyrics of Peter Cetera's "Deck the Halls" is a song that celebrates the Christmas season. The first stanza speaks of the Christmas tradition of decorating one's home with holly, which symbolizes joy and goodwill, and spreading cheer among those celebrating the holiday with the line, "Tis the season to be jolly." The second line, "Don we now our gay apparel," is an implicit call for people to dress up in festive attire to complement the joyful occasion.
The second stanza begins with the mention of the Yuletide, a pagan festival celebrating the winter solstice, and the pre-Christian era of the holiday. Cetera promotes the importance of keeping in touch with ancient traditions despite the rise of Christianity with a call to "Troll the ancient Yuletide carol." The next line, "See the blazing Yule before us," refers to a massive wreath symbolizing the sun and was a hallmark of the pagan Yuletide festival.
The final two lines of the stanza call on everyone to join in the chorus and follow the lead of the singer in "merry measure" as he tells of yuletide treasures. The song's chorus, "Fa la la la la, la la la la," is an onomatopoeic reflection of the joy and excitement of the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Let’s decorate our living space with fresh and evergreen holly leaves and branches
Tis the season to be jolly
This is the time of the year to be happy and cheerful
Don we now our gay apparel
Let us wear our happy and colorful clothes for the festive season
Troll the ancient Yuledite carol
Let’s sing traditional ancient songs related to Yule with joy and happiness
See the blazing youle before us
Let’s enjoy the bright and warm light of Yule log burning in front of us
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Start playing lively music with harp and join the singing in a group
Follow me in merry measure
Join me with happy steps in celebrating this festive season
While I tell of yuletide treasure
Let me narrate the tales of Yuletide traditions and valuable customs
Fa la la la la, la la la la
This is the time to just hum and enjoy the musical interlude
Fast away the old years passes
The old year has gone by very quickly
Hail the new, ye las and lasses
Let’s welcome the New Year with enthusiasm and fervor
Sing we joyous, all together
Together, let's sing with happiness and joyousness
Heedless of the wind and weather
We should ignore the cold and stormy weather and celebrate heartily
Fa la la la la, la la la la
A musical interlude to hum and enjoy the moment
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.