The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Ka… Read Full Bio ↴The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and press materials is simply Carpenters without the definite article. During a period in the 1970s when louder and wilder rock was in great demand, Richard and Karen produced a distinctively soft musical style that made them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

The Carpenters' melodic pop charted a record-breaking score of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, becoming leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening and adult contemporary genres. The Carpenters had three #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen #1 hits on the Adult Contemporary Chart (see The Carpenters discography). In addition, they had twelve top 10 singles (including their #1 hits). To date, The Carpenters' album and single sales total more than 100 million units.

During their fourteen-year career, The Carpenters recorded eleven albums, five of which contained top 10 singles (Close to You, Carpenters, A Song for You, Now & Then and Horizon), thirty-one singles, five television specials, and one short-lived television series. They toured in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. Their recording career ended with Karen's death on February 4, 1983. Karen passed away after cardiac arrest due to complications of anorexia nervosa. Extensive news coverage of the circumstances surrounding her death increased public awareness of the consequences of eating disorders.

Their first recordings were not successful, and the recording studio that was recording them, dropped them. That's when their 'savior' came in. Herb Alpert of A&M records heard a couple of their songs and said that he felt that they had good potential. Thanks to him, and his ability to see/hear quality when it appears, we had the GREAT performers of The Carpenters.

Home For The Holidays
The Carpenters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays,
For no matter how far away you roam
When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home

I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin' for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie
From Pennsylvania folks are travelin' down to Dixie's sunny shore

From Atlantic to Pacific
Gee, the traffic is terrific

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays,
'Cause no matter how far away you roam
If you want to be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home

I met a man who lives in Tennessee and he was headin' for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie
From Pennsylvania folks are travelin' down to Dixie's sunny shore
From Atlantic to Pacific
Gee, the traffic is terrific

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays,
'Cause no matter how far away you roam
If you want to be happy in a million ways,

For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home
For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home

Overall Meaning

The Carpenters's song "Home For The Holidays" is a classic Christmas tune about the joys of returning home during the holiday season. The lyrics suggest that no matter how far away you travel or what adventures you embark on, there is something special about returning home to the people and places you love. The song speaks to a universal experience, as many people travel to be with their families during the holidays, creating a sense of togetherness and nostalgia.

The first verse sets the scene, as the singer muses about the importance of home during the holidays. The second and third verses tell a story about a man from Tennessee traveling to Pennsylvania and others traveling to Dixie's sunny shore, highlighting the mass migration of people returning home during this time. The chorus repeats the sentiment of the first verse, emphasizing the idea that there's no place like home during the holidays.

Overall, "Home For The Holidays" is a feel-good song that captures the essence of what the holiday season is about - spending time with loved ones and creating lasting memories.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays,
There is nothing quite like spending the holidays at home

For no matter how far away you roam
Even if you are far away from home

When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
When you crave the warmth of a smile from a familiar face

For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home
There is no better place to be than home during the holidays

I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin' for
I once encountered a man from Tennessee who was en route to

Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie
Pennsylvania to enjoy delicious homemade pumpkin pie

From Pennsylvania folks are travelin' down to Dixie's sunny shore
People from Pennsylvania are heading to the South for some fun in the sun

From Atlantic to Pacific
From coast to coast

Gee, the traffic is terrific
Wow, the roads are really congested

'Cause no matter how far away you roam
Because no matter how far you travel

If you want to be happy in a million ways,
If you want to experience joy in countless ways

For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home
There is no place like home for the holidays

For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home
Home is truly the best place to celebrate the holidays

Lyrics © CHARLIE DEITCHER PROD INC , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AL STILLMAN, ROBERT ALLEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS