Blogocentric Formulations

Please Come Home for Christmas

| Day 2 |




"Please Come Home for Christmas"
by Charles Brown

Most people are probably familiar with the cover versions of this song by the Eagles in 1978, or the Bon Jovi version in 1992, or more recently Kelly Clarkson in 2013. Or any of the other various covers by the likes of Willie Nelson, Martina McBride, Ryland James, etc. But this year I want to pay tribute to the original version, co-written and performed by blues singer and piano player Charles Brown. This ended up being the most popular song he ever came up with, and I love the old vinyl sound of this recording. It's a testament to the quality of the song that so many really famous artists have covered it for their own Christmas albums over the year.

This is one of the songs I listen to when I'm feeling a little melancholy around the holidays. I've found this season to be particularly difficult over the past few years after losing my mom unexpectedly in November 2020, and one of the things that's surprised me is how often I want a bit of a sad song to listen to and just sit with my feelings of loneliness and missing her. It's a careful balance though, because if I listen to something too sad or somber then it puts me in a worse mood. But certain songs, like this one, are upbeat and positive enough while still maintaining a bit of the twinge of sadness that it just kind of works when I want to be just a little blue while I'm feeling nostalgic. This song strikes that right balance for me, so while I didn't often listen to it before, it's definitely become one of my holiday standards in recent years... particularly this version.