Born in Chicago, Illinois he was taught piano as a child and was part of his high school chorus. Luboff studied at the University of Chicago after which he wrote programs and sang for a Chicago radio station. In the mid-1940s, Luboff moved to New York City to expand his musical horizons but it would be in Hollywood where he would achieve national fame, doing the choral and vocal arrangements for a number of motion pictures. In 1950, he established the Walton Music Corporation to publish his musical works. However, he is best remembered as the founder and conductor of the Norman Luboff Choir, recognized worldwide as one of the leading choral groups of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The choral group toured extensively and recorded more than seventy-five albums. The holiday albums Songs of Christmas (1956) and Christmas with the Norman Luboff Choir (1964) were perennial bestsellers for years, and the former remains in print as a compact disc re-release. Luboff and his choir also won the 1961 Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Chorus.
The Choir's "Songs of the Cowboy" and "Songs of the Trail" albums were released on CD in 1999 as "Cowboy's Dream" with 25 tracks.
Norman Luboff died of cancer at his home in Bynum, North Carolina in 1987. The Norman Luboff Collection was donated to the Music Division of the United States Library of Congress in 1993 by Mrs. Gunilla Marcus-Luboff.
Deck The Halls
The Norman Luboff Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
See the blazing Yule before us.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
While I tell of Yule-tide treasure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Fast away the old year passes.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Hail the new year, lads and lasses
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Sing we joyous, all together.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
heedless of the wind and weather.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
The Norman Luboff Choir's rendition of "Deck the Halls" is a Christmas classic that celebrates the holiday season with joy and merriment. The song begins with the lyrics, "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la," which encourages the listener to decorate their home with festive greenery. The fa-la-la refrain adds to the joyful nature of the song and serves as a call-and-response to involve the listener.
The second stanza continues with "See the blazing Yule before us, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la," which references the Yule log, a traditional Christmas decoration that represents the warmth and light of the season. The lyrics encourage the listener to join the chorus, strike the harp, and follow the leader in a merry measure. The third stanza mentions the passing of the old year and the welcoming of the new year with a joyful song, "Fast away the old year passes, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, hail the new year lads and lasses, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."
Line by Line Meaning
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Let us decorate the halls with beautiful branches of holly.
Tis the season to be jolly
This is the time of year to be happy and enjoy oneself.
Don we now our gay apparel
Let's put on our bright and festive clothing.
Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol
Sing the traditional Yule carol in a joyful and entertaining way.
See the blazing Yule before us
Take a look at the bright and beautiful Yule log in front of us.
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Start playing the harp and sing along with the rest of the group.
Follow me in merry measure
Come with me in happy and cheerful step.
While I tell of Yule-tide treasure
As I share stories of the treasures of Yule-tide.
Fast away the old year passes
The old year is quickly coming to an end.
Hail the new year, lads and lasses
Let's cheer and celebrate the arrival of the new year, boys and girls.
Sing we joyous, all together
Let's all sing joyously and happily together.
heedless of the wind and weather
Ignoring the wind and weather, let's keep singing happily and without a care.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DEBBIE GATES, GARY POWELL, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind