'I’ll Be Home for Christmas' by Elvis Presley
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written by lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent, and sung by Bing Crosby in 1943, Americans were fighting in World War II overseas. On his 1957 album "Elvis' Christmas Album," Elvis Presley recorded a fantastic rendition of the song, who made the song a top 10 success.
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" was created to celebrate soldiers serving overseas who wished to be home for the holidays. It has now become a Christmas classic.
The song is performed from the perspective of a soldier sending a letter to his home while stationed overseas during World War II. In the message, he informs his family that he will be returning home for the holidays and asks for snow, mistletoe, and presents on the tree. The soldier says, "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams," as the song concludes on a sad note. "Danny Boy" was on the flip side of the original recording (Decca 18570B).
When the protagonist sings, "I'll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams," it tugs also at the heartstrings.
* Published in: The original 1943 release by Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra on Decca
* Composer: Walter Kent
* Lyricist: Kim Gannon
* Link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL71eMc1blw
