Dan O'Donnell

Dan O'Donnell

Common Sense Central is edited by WISN's Dan O'Donnell. Dan provides unique conservative commentary and analysis of stories that the mainstream media...Full Bio

 

The Forgotten History of 'I'll Be Home for Christmas'

"I'll be Home for Christmas" was written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent in the early 1940s.  But they couldn't find anyone to record it.

Music executives felt that with so many soldiers fighting in World War II, the line "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams" was too sad for families at what's supposed to be a joyous time of year.

But one man disagreed.  Bing Crosby had Gannon sing him the song while the two were playing golf together in 1943, and Crosby loved it--recording it later that year and releasing it as the B-side to his monster hit "White Christmas."

And instead of making soldiers overseas sad, it filled them with hope, so much so that whenever Bing Crosby played a holiday show for the troops, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" was his most requested song.

Click on the player below to hear each entry in Dan's series "The Forgotten History of Our Favorite Christmas Carols."


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