This song is my reflection on what the holidays have always meant to me — family gathered across two floors, the smell of cinnamon and pine, laughter spilling from the kitchen, and the quiet magic of snow outside the window. A Family Christmas is about those moments that stitch us together year after year, even as time moves on.
I wanted the verses to capture the little details — grandma stirring gravy, cousins trading stories, mittens and scarves tied tight for a midnight walk. The bridge slows down to honor the memories of loved ones who are no longer with us, while the final chorus builds into a triumphant celebration of everyone who makes the season whole. I hope this song brings you back to your own holiday traditions, the warmth of home, and the joy of being together…
This song is sorta' like an extension of the previous Christmas/Holiday song I just recently released: I Think To Christmas. (See previous blog post). They were somewhat written and recorded side by side. Being that I had always wanted to pay tribute particularly to certain members of my family who have passed away over the years, is to whom I had intended to dedicate this song. People who I will never forget and who were also such a huge influence on my life, including my Grandmother Josephine. (Whom I mentioned in the last post in this blog). I get so emotional when I listen back to this song. Brings back a ton of memories, especially from that time in my life, on which the song is fundamentally based… Amazon Music
This tune did turn out to be something of a Country-Pop Crossover type song. Ever since I lived in Western Maryland (Which was like a glorified Appalachia, and where there were a few seemingly very popular Country radio stations) I had developed a love for allot of the more Contemporary type Country music, much of it being like Country Crossover itself, such in the case of artists like Carrie Underwood for example. It became something of the template I used (if you will) with this track, as was the case with the ‘It Is You’ track. Some song structures just seem to lend themselves well to a particular kind of genre, it seems. And this seemed to be one of them. It was just the way it seemed to come together with the plugins and musical tools I was using. It just fit the vibe, I thought…
I developed the lyrics, particularly towards the end of the song as something that sorta reminded me of one of the final scenes in the Titanic movie: “One small world - upstairs, downstairs, and there, everyone.” You know (and not to get morbid AT ALL here) where the lead character passes away, and is like re-united on the other side with some of the people she knew on the ship greeting her there. As this particular part was somewhat influenced by a very surreal dream (ironically) of my Grandmother Josephine (that I had mentioned) when I had first moved to Maryland, through the company I was employed with at the time, who had closed their operations on Long Island. In the dream, I was back in that two family house in Lindenhurst (that is like the background of the song) walking down the stairs (as I mentioned in the previous post, my mother, sister, and me used to live upstairs, and my grandparents on my mother's side lived downstairs) and there was my grandmother, greeting me at the bottom of the stairs! (As if we had never left!) And (in the dream) she proceeded to speak with me in a seemingly encouraging manner, as she seemed to sense that I was very worried about the move to a completely different state (and area) that I was totally unfamiliar with in the first place. I will never forget this dream, because, like my grandmother herself, it had left such a deep impression on me to this day, and gave me like goosebumps when I had waken up, almost immediately from the dream. It was so real, that I was totally blown away by it, to say the least. And which became one of the main reasons why I wanted to finish this song, especially now during the holidays. It's like a keepsake, and like a memorial in a way. (For lack of a better word right now). Like leaving a legacy, if you will, as is the case with most of the other songs I have written and published. (But this one is like, really special to me). Like a footprint ("I was here") I guess. Like leaving your mark in this world, in some way. Something to remember you by, if you will. My contribution, for whatever talent God had given me. I assume it was to share that talent to begin with (carefully) for whatever its worth…
Our family had so much potential. My Uncle Nicky for example (whose name I use in the song) was a man who had worked his way up from something of a stock boy, to the manager of a pretty big retail clothing chain back then called: Ripley's. (Which in turn, provided him with the resources to eventually have this awesome house built, with this awesome built-in swimming pool, back on Long Island). My Uncle Pat was discovered by some kind of Talent Scout from Grumman Aerospace, who wanted him to play for their baseball team, because he was such a great ball player who had won so many awards, from what I understand. Thus started his career there. (God rest his soul). My grandmother Josephine had given up her very own business in Harlem, that she had for many years, to help out my mother after my father had passed, as just a few examples. So many awesome people, and so many memories, with many of those memories somewhat around that Mother/Daughter house back on Long Island, that I will also never forget. I dedicate this song to all of them, and especially my awesome grandmother Josephine. She was a living saint. Miss them all very much. Especially around this time of year. They made me so proud to be related to them, and that we were all part of the same family. (On both sides). And of course, that is not to say, that we didn't have our share of problems, and challenges. As there were those periods that were particularly difficult. (Like the family had some kind of a secret, invisible enemy or something). So, this song has that much more of a special meaning to me, for all these reasons, and more…