Colvin's formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age of 10. Her first public concert was at age 15 at the University of Illinois campus. Colvin cites Joni Mitchell as a primary influence on her music, and her initial performances closely mirrored Mitchell's inflections and guitar tunings.
Colvin began working in the music scene in earnest in the late 1970s, first in Austin, Texas and then nationally. She met music partner John Leventhal during this time; Leventhal would go on to be Colvin's producer on several albums. Colvin often lends her talent to contemporaries in the music business - she can be heard singing the backing vocals on the Suzanne Vega hit, "Luka" from 1987. Vega returned the favor, singing backup on Colvin's, "Diamond In The Rough", from her debut album, "Steady On". Colvin, again can be heard singing backing vocals on Mary Chapin Carpenter's, "The Hard Way" and "Come On Come On" and Mary Chapin returns the favor on Colvin's, "Climb On (A Back That's Strong)", from Colvin's "Fat City" album.
Colvin's first several albums were met with critical acclaim, but did not sell in substantial numbers. After several albums of original work, Colvin released "Cover Girl", a collection of cover songs, but the work was a departure for her and was not well received.
Colvin experienced breakthrough success with "A Few Small Repairs" in October of 1996. The single "Sunny Came Home" reached the US Top Ten, and won Grammy Awards for Song and Record of the Year. She has released several subsequent albums that were nominated for Grammys, and has also released a greatest-hits album and a collection of Christmas music.
A new album from Colvin, entitled "These Four Walls", was released on September 12, 2006.
She was the guest vocal artist on the Lisa Loeb single "Falling in Love" as well as appearing at various Lilith Fair music festivals. She also has been featured on the popular live music show Austin City Limits and played at the 2003 Austin City Limits Music Festival. She also appeared in a tribute to her idol Joni Mitchell in 2001 that was broadcast on the cable network TNT.
She has made two guest appearances on The Simpsons as Rachel Jordan, lead singer for a Christian rock band. She first appears in "Alone Again, Natura-diddly," where Rachel wins Ned Flanders' heart after the untimely death of his wife, Maude. Later, in the episode "I'm Going to Praiseland," Ned dates Rachel, only to scare her off when he tries to turn her into a version of Maude.
Colvin lives with her daughter, Caledonia, and husband, Mario Erwin in Austin, Texas, and still participates in the Austin music scene.
Christmas Time is Here
Shawn Colvin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Happiness and cheer,
Fun for all that children call their favorite time of year.
Snowflakes in the air,
Carols everywhere,
Olden times and ancient rhymes and love and dreams to share.
Beauty every where;
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there.
Christmas time is here;
Families drawing near;
Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year.
The song "Christmas Time Is Here" is a beautiful expression of the joy and happiness that comes with the holiday season. The opening line of the song, "Christmas time is here," sets the tone of the song and the overall theme of Christmas. The following line, "Happiness and cheer," emphasizes the joyousness of the season and how it brings people together.
The second verse of the song mentions the snowflakes in the air and carols being sung everywhere. These are common symbols of Christmas, and they emphasize the magical feeling that comes with the season. The line "Olden times and ancient rhymes" suggests that Christmas is a time to reflect on past traditions and customs while creating new ones with loved ones. The final line of the verse, "love and dreams to share," emphasizes the importance of family and friends during this time of year.
In the third verse, the lyrics mention the sound of sleigh bells in the air and the beauty that surrounds us during the holiday season. The line "Yuletide by the fireside" creates a cozy picture of friends and family gathered around a warm fire, telling stories and sharing memories. The final line of the verse mentions "joyful memories" and reminds us of the importance of cherishing these special moments with loved ones.
The final verse of the song emphasizes the importance of family during the holiday season. The line "Families drawing near" emphasizes the idea that Christmas is a time to be with loved ones. The final line of the song, "Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year," reminds us to carry the joy and spirit of Christmas with us throughout the year, not just during the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Christmas time is here,
The time of year when everyone celebrates Christmas.
Happiness and cheer,
A time when people are happy and joyful.
Fun for all that children call their favorite time of year.
A joyous time for children who look forward to Christmas with excitement.
Snowflakes in the air,
Snowflakes are falling from the sky.
Carols everywhere,
Christmas songs can be heard everywhere.
Olden times and ancient rhymes and love and dreams to share.
A time when people remember old and nostalgic times and share love and dreams with each other.
Sleigh bells in the air;
The sound of bells ringing from a sleigh can be heard.
Beauty every where;
The world is beautiful and full of wonder during this time of the year.
Yuletide by the fireside
A traditional Christmas celebration by the warmth of the fireside.
And joyful memories there.
A time when people create happy and joyful memories to cherish in the future.
Christmas time is here;
A time to celebrate Christmas and enjoy the festivities.
Families drawing near;
A time for families to come together and celebrate the holiday season.
Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year.
It would be great to see the same spirit of joy and happiness throughout the entire year, not just during the Christmas season.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, LEE MENDELSON FILM PROD., INC., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Vince Guaraldi, Lee Maurice Mendelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Colin Rackley
This was the first version I heard of it outside of Peanuts. It sounds beautiful.
america1888
This is a beautiful, melancholy Christmas song; Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year are my favorite times of year. I love the Holiday Season.
lesmillman
I heard this song on the radio for the first time yesterday. What a lovely version of the song.
Michael Ferry
Christmastime 2013 - Dearest Shawny Shawn, Your voice and magnificent spirit has kept me alive for another year so let me say: "thank you from the deepest places in my heart"...how I love you! Peace to you Angel...kisses...
William Coon
It's a weird thing but sometimes a sad song can help you get over the very hard times. I have a number of songs I'll play to get through the sad times. Amazing how that works.
Glad this song helped you Michael. Hope you're doing well.
Michael Ferry
Christmas 2012 - Merry Christmas Shawn Colvin! The world would not be the same without your beautiful spirit and voice so thank you for taking such good care of the gifts God gave you so you could share them with us as you have. God Bless You this Christmas and every day. Peace to you Angel.
Chinietzche
She does have a beautiful voice. Loving , caring , tender. Tames the inner beast.
gogobobo
Love! Thank you Shawn. Still Loverly Christmas 2022.
Chad Scherger
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