Formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961, the original group comprised singer-musician-composer and bandleader Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Wilson neighbor David Marks appeared on their first four albums and was a member from 1962 to 1963 as a temporary replacement for Jardine, who had left the group to pursue a career in dentistry.
On their first few studio albums, the group primarily played surf music, but this changed after 1964 as their songs became more sophisticated and autobiographical. The 1965 album Today! particularly represented this shift in sound. Bruce Johnston joined the group that same year. Session drummer Hal Blaine is quoted: "We all studied in conservatories; we were trained musicians. We thought it was a fluke at first, but then we realized Brian was writing these incredible songs. This was not just a young kid writing about high school and surfing."
Following their most esteemed work, Pet Sounds (1966), the band became symbols of psychedelic counterculture. The highly anticipated follow-up, Smile, was left unfinished, and Brian soon relinquished his creative hold on the group. A trilogy of lo-fi releases followed: Smiley Smile (1967), Wild Honey (1967), and Friends (1968). Brian would not be credited as a primary composer for any Beach Boys album until 1977's Love You, an album on the fringe of synth-pop, new wave, and punk.
In Brian's absence, the Beach Boys still managed to release music that was regarded favorably by fans and critics despite poor sales: Sunflower (1970) and Surf's Up (1971). South African musicians Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar played and sang with the band on the next two albums: Carl & the Passions - So Tough (1972), and Holland (1973).
Many changes in both musical style and personnel have occurred in their sometimes-stormy career: Brian Wilson's mental illness and drug addiction; the deaths of Dennis Wilson in 1983 and Carl Wilson in 1998; and continuing legal battles among surviving members of the group. With the release of 1974's Endless Summer they became a more popular touring act, playing their greatest hits. They have recorded 36 Billboard Top 40 hits (including four number-one singles), have had over 100 million sales, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Official site: http://www.thebeachboys.com
I'll Be Home For Christmas
The Beach Boys 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
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
The Beach Boys' version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a poignant tune that encapsulates the loneliness and longing that many people feel during the holiday season, particularly those who are far away from their families and loved ones. The singer of the song expresses his desire to return home for Christmas and to be surrounded by familiar sights and sounds, including snow, mistletoe, presents, and the warm glow of love. While he acknowledges that he may not be able to physically make it home, he clings to the hope that he will be there "if only in my dreams."
The song's lyrics are a reminder that Christmas is a time for family, togetherness, and love, but also a time when many people feel the pangs of separation and isolation. The use of the phrase "love light gleams" is particularly poignant, evoking a sense of both warmth and longing. The line "If only in my dreams" is the emotional climax of the song, a bittersweet admission that the singer may not be able to realize his desire to be home for Christmas, but that the longing and the joy of the season will linger in his heart nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be home for Christmas
No matter where I am, I promise to make it back home for Christmas so we can be together.
You can plan on me
You can count on me to keep my word and be there for Christmas no matter what.
Please have snow and mistletoe
I hope my home is decorated with all the Christmas classics like snow and mistletoe to make it feel like the perfect holiday.
And presents on the tree
I hope there are lots of presents under the tree, waiting to be opened on Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve will find me
On Christmas Eve, I will be somewhere special, possibly with family or loved ones, enjoying the holiday festivities.
Where the love light gleams
I will be surrounded by the warmth of love and happiness, feeling the very essence of what Christmas is all about.
If only in my dreams
Even if I can't physically be there for Christmas, I'll be thinking of home and how much I wish I could be there celebrating with everyone I love.
I'll be home for Christmas
This repeated line reinforces the artist's commitment to returning home for the holidays, no matter what.
Lyrics Β© Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: BUCK RAM, KIM GANNON, WALTER KENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
doris Stewart
what beautiful harmonies.. never will be anyone else like them with their sound,music
Zaria Re'Jean
Omg this is so beautiful!! I love it more than the original! π Ugh those harmonies.
Susan Settlemyre
The best harmonies, what's not to like? Puts me in a good mood always!
Jay
I am 62 , Mom and Dad are gone , my sister and myself were never close . The family and friends we went to visit, most of them are also gone , their children have become distant . So when I listen to this song and the way , they perform it , it makes me very sentimental .
KMK
Hope youβre doing well man. Merry Christmas β€οΈ
Jan Med
Oh my. This is just beautiful. Makes me wish every day was Christmas!!
Gertie Gravelstone
I had the original Chirstmas album. I think it had a green cover and the BB were decorating a tree.Β I was too young to realize their harmonizing power. Have listened to them from the beginning as a junior high schooler!
ZeZe
Gertie Gravelstone is it crazy that I'm a junior in high school and just discovering them... I mean that I heard their songs come on when I was younger, but now I'm actually listening to their music and really enjoy it
ι§γΆεΆΊζ£θ³
What a nice harmony! Totally different from my imagination.
bob shedden
the world is a better place knowing music is safe within all of us