Gill was born in Norman, Oklahoma, the home of the University of Oklahoma Sooners and learned to play several instruments, including banjo and guitar before he started high school at Oklahoma City's Northwest Classen High School. After he graduated, he played in a number of bluegrass bands. He debuted on the national scene with the country-rock band Pure Prairie League in 1979, appearing on that band's album Can't Hold Back. Gill is the lead singer on their hit song, "Let Me Love You Tonight" (1980), which he was still performing in concert years later - thus, he said, confusing many fans who knew him only from his subsequent solo work. Gill appeared on two subsequent albums along with his then-wife Janis Oliver.
Departing Pure Prairie League in 1981, Gill joined Rodney Crowell’s backing band The Notorious Cherry Bombs, where he met and worked with Tony Brown and Emory Gordy Jr., both of whom would later produce many of his future solo albums.
Signing as a solo artist with RCA Records in 1983, he first charted while on that label. In 1989 he switched to MCA Records where he recorded his breakthrough hit "When I Call Your Name." His 1998 album The Key received great critical acclaim. His other albums include Next Big Thing (2003) and Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye (2000). The Guitar Slinger Songfacts says that Gill released his twelfth studio album, Guitar Slinger, on October 25, 2011 via MCA Nashville. It was his manager, Larry Fitzgerald, who came up with the title, as he felt there was something different the way Gill was playing the guitar on the record.
Gill hosted the CMA Awards every year from 1992 to 2003. In 2004 he received a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. In 1997, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
He married country singer Janis Oliver (of Sweethearts of the Rodeo fame) in 1980. The couple have one daughter, Jennifer Jerene Gill, born 5 May 1982. Vince and Janis separated in the mid-1990s and eventually divorced in June 1998. Vince later began dating and eventually married Christian/pop singer Amy Grant in March of 2000. They have one daughter, Corrina Grant Gill born 12 March 2001.
Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler was a fan of Gill's, and had asked Gill to join the band full time. Gill turned down the invitation but did sing backup on one song ("The Bug") from Dire Straits' album On Every Street.
Gill has also sung duets with numerous artists, including Dolly Parton ("I Will Always Love You"), Reba McEntire ("Oklahoma Swing," "The Heart Won't Lie," "It Just Has to Be That Way"), Amy Grant ("House of Love"), and Barbra Streisand ("If You Ever Leave Me"); his other credits as a backup vocalist have included "Girls With Guitars" by Wynonna Judd (written by Mary-Chapin Carpenter, who, coincidentally, had a country hit with her cover of "The Bug") and "Nothing Left Behind Us" by Richard Marx.
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Vince Gill 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 lovelight gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the lovelight gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all
Your Christmases be white
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases
May all your Christmases
May all your Christmases
May all your Christmases be white
I'm dreaming of a white
Christmas with you
Jingle Bells
All the way, all the way
In Vince Gill's "I'll Be Home For Christmas," he sings about the longing for being home and the traditions of Christmas. The opening chorus speaks to the hope of returning home for the holidays, with a request for snow, mistletoe, and presents under the tree. The second verse adds more depth to this desire for home, as we discover that it is the lovelight that is being sought after, rather than just the physical place. Finally, the song ends with the reverie for white Christmases of the past and wishing for this current one to be just as white and amazing with loved ones.
The traditional Christmas tune, first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943, has since become a Christmas classic covered by many talented musicians. The song's lyrics are a melancholy reflection of the loneliness and longing that many feel during the holidays. For some, Christmas can be a time of joy and festivities, but for others, it can be a painful reminder of what is missing. Vince Gill's version brings a bit of country flair, with his smooth voice delivering the heart-tugging lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be home for Christmas
I promise to come home for Christmas. No matter what makes me homesick, I am determined to be with my family on Christmas.
You can plan on me
You don't have to worry about me, I'll be there. You can count on me to be by your side during the festivities.
Please have snow and mistletoe
I hope that our house is covered in snow and that you decorate everything with mistletoe to fully embrace the Christmas spirit.
And presents on the tree
It would be wonderful to see presents wrapped under the tree. It’s part of the magic of Christmas and brings everyone together.
Christmas Eve will find me
On Christmas Eve, I'll be headed home to reunite with my family.
Where the lovelight gleams
I'll be sitting at home, with the Christmas tree lights on and everything decorated; it will be a sight to see in the warmth and happiness.
If only in my dreams
While it's important for me to make that journey, I also know that it's not always possible. Nonetheless, I’ll imagine myself there with you, even if it’s just in my dreams.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
I hope we get to experience a winter wonderland that's covered in snow. It brings the family together with exciting activities and games.
Just like the ones I used to know
I'm looking forward to the Christmases of old that we may have had together in the past. Those memories are cherished and bring joy to me every year.
Where the tree tops glisten
I dream of seeing the trees outside full of snow and looking like they are sparkling under the Christmas lights.
And children listen
It excites me to see children but not just any children - children who are fully into the Christmas spirit and can’t contain their happiness and believe in the magic.
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
Christmas music playing is a magical sound; a defining factor of the giving holiday which I will use as a way to share the warmth and happiness this year.
With every Christmas card I write
With every card that I write/send, I hope these feelings of happiness, cheer and love I wish for them will be true until the next Christmas.
May your days be merry and bright
I sincerely hope that every day of your life is filled with happiness and joy,especially during this holiday season full of giving, compassion, and celebration.
And may all your Christmases be white
I'm hoping that every Christmas of yours will be like a magical winter wonderland.
I'm dreaming of a white, Christmas with you
I want us to share in the excitement and fully embrace the Christmas spirit together. To be able to create memories and experience the warmth and love that Christmas day brings.
Jingle Bells, all the way, all the way
I want the house to be filled with Christmas carols, and Jingle Bells, being the quintessential Christmas song, should be recited without missing a note.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buck Ram, Walter Kent, Kim Gannon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind