This week, I’ve had Aaron Neville’s version of “Please Come Home for Christmas” #OnRepeat. Yes, I am still riding the Christmas train since the holidays went by way too fast this year. Besides, who doesn’t love Christmas music?
I have written about Aaron Neville before, but for those who don’t know, Neville is a Soul and R&B singer from New Orleans, Louisiana. He has a distinctive tenor vocal range and his stylistic vocal inflections have become a part of the classic R&B sound of the 1960s and 1970s. Some of his most well-known songs are “Everybody Plays the Fool,” “Don’t Know Much,” and “Over You.”
“Please Come Home for Christmas” was written and released first in 1960 by Charles Brown and Gene Redd. The lyrics are told from the point of view of someone having to celebrate the Christmas holiday without their significant other because they have left them. Neville’s version of this classic R&B Christmas song is probably one of my favorites since his soulful voice pours out over every word, making you think the narrator is physically heart-broken to the point of near exhaustion. His voice naturally draws out the angst and deep pain found in the lyrics of the song, yet his high voice floats effortlessly, giving the impression of the hidden hope that the narrator has for his lover to come back.
Take a listen below:
Will you be adding this to your Christmas playlist next year? Leave a comment with your favorite holiday song!