Silent Night
Vocals: Carly Simon
Acoustic Guitar: Carly Simon
Guitar: Joel Shearer
Bass: Chris Chaney
Harmony vocals: Arnold McCuller, Ben Taylor

Twelve Gates To The City
Vocals: Carly Simon
Acoustic Guitar: Carly Simon
Organ: Billy Preston
Electric Guitar: Mark Goldenberg
Drums: Jim Keltner
Harmony vocals: Billy Preston

Christmas Is Almost Here
Vocals: Carly Simon
Acoustic Guitar: Dean Parks
Electric Guitar: Mark Goldenberg
Synthesizer: Deron Johnson
Bass: Chris Chaney
Drums: Jim Keltner

Heaven
Vocals: Carly Simon
Acoustic Piano: Rob Mathes

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Vocals: Carly Simon
Acoustic Guitar: Carly Simon
Guitar: Joel Shearer
Bass: Chris Chaney
12 string Guitar: Mark Goldenberg
Electric Piano: Benmont Trench
Drums: Jim Keltner
Harmony vocals: Arnold McCuller, Ben Taylor

O Come, All Ye Faithful
Vocals: Carly Simon
Acoustic Guitar: Dean Parks
Electric Dobro: Joel Shearer

Pretty Paper
Vocals: Carly Simon, Willie Nelson
Guitar: Willie Nelson
Acoustic Guitar: Dean Parks, Judd Fuller
Mandolin: Judd Fuller
Acoustic Piano: Adam MacDougal
Harmonica: Mickey Raphael
Bass: Chris Chaney
Drums: Jim Keltner

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Vocals: Carly Simon, Ben Taylor
Acoustic Guitar: Joel Shearer
Electric Guitar: Mark Goldenberg
Electric Piano: Benmont Tench
Bass: Chris Chaney
Drums: Jim Keltner
Harmony vocals: Arnold McCuller

I'll Be Home For Christmas
Vocals: Carly Simon
Acoustic Guitar: Dean Parks

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Vocals: Carly Simon
12 String Guitar: Mark Goldenberg

The Land Of Christmas (Mary)
Vocals: Carly Simon
Acoustic Guitar: Carly Simon
Guitar: Joel Shearer, Dean Parks
Bass: Chris Chaney
Drums; Jim Keltner

Produced and Engineered by Don Was
in room 139 of The Peninsula Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA in January of 2002.

The Land Of Christmas (Mary)
Written by: Carly Simon

Take me into your hands
Make me into your prayer
Take me away to the land of Christmas
And dismiss my fear
Show me the way

You see I need a way to pass
through the pain
Breathe it and bear it and rise up again
Take me away to the land of Christmas
Where I can receive your kiss
Feel the strength in my heart

And wail like a baby
And sail through the storm
Be tender as Mary
With her newborn son

Is feeling small a very good thing?
Is feeling big really very small?
Take me away to the land of Christmas
Where I won't question your love at all

And when I kneel to you
It doesn't mean I'll get the message right
Take me away to the land of Christmas
Where I can't resist surrendering

And I'll wail like a baby
And sail through the storm
Be tender like Mary
With her newborn son
On Christmas morn
Tender as Mary
With her newborn son

2003 - Note from Carly:

Here I am, back again. Since the release of the original album, I had always wanted to add two more Christmas songs to complete the album, and it felt right to do it this year.

On the first version of the album, Don and I decided to stay away from "White Christmas" because of how roundly recorded it has been over so many years. When I was in Los Angeles in May, I said to my friend Carole Bayer Sager over a nice hot cup of chai: "The only way it could work is if I recorded it with a legend..." Before I could get the word 'legend' out, she was pressing an automatic dialer and saying the words: "Burt, would you play "White Christmas" for Carly? She's here right now." We were all on speakerphone, and within four minutes of having the idea, we had agreed on the key of the song and the recording schedule.

A few days later it was as it is now. We recorded it in Carole's studio with Chris Papastephanou putting three mikes up. One for my voice, one for the piano and one for Burt to do the funky 'Burt' thing whenever he felt moved to. The funky 'Burt' thing is like a soft, tender rain falling from dark, powerful clouds. He does it with his husky voice mingled serendipitously with some sonic jewelry... could be sleigh bells if you stretch. It's atmospheric and caressing, and the world would be a much sadder place without it.

"Forgive", is more of a hymn than a Christmas song, and it should be sung or expressed every day. This is especially true if you can get Andreas Vollenweider to fly from Switzerland to your house to accompany you on his harp. We wrote it on the spot and recorded it with Jimmy Parr in just a few minutes. The version is really no more than a demo, but it doesn't seem to require anything else, so call it a track.

I'm very proud of all of us who brought the 2003 edition of this collection together.

Christmas Is Almost Here
Written by: Livingston Taylor

There's a hand that's old and rough
And it's holding on
To one that's new and small
Whose life has just begun
Hand in hand
Young and old
Calm each others fears
Christmas is almost here

There's a rocky road ahead
Two people walk alone
Wondering in the fading light
If they can find their home
When hope is almost gone
A distant light appears
Christmas is almost here

Almost here for those in doubt
For those who must remain
Left behind when love goes cold
And shifting life makes change

Almost here for dreamers
Who think that there's a chance
That they will find their music
And a partner for the dance

There's a dream that doesn't die
Now we walk as one
Justice has a gentle hand
And love is like the sun

The darkest night is past
And by the stars we steer
Christmas is almost here
Christmas is almost here

Heaven
Music by: Lucy Simon
Lyrics by: Lucy Simon & Carly Simon

I can almost touch the stars
Filling up the night
On their way around the world
They stop their flight

I can see the brightest star
Dazzling in the west
Three wise men follow
With no time for rest

And heaven can't be far
From where we lie
Heaven can't be far
From where we lie

Follow, follow
Pilgrims follow
To see the carpenters' child
Born the king of angels
He is meek and mild
Son of Joseph
Son of Mary
Son of love
He is born
Son of all believers
On this Christmas morn

And heaven can't be far
From where we lie
Heaven can't be far
From where we lie

Forgive (2003 release)
Featuring: Andreas Vollenweider

Let me be before the world
What I am when I'm alone
And when my vision falls below
Let there be forgiveness

Let me answer when I'm called
Let me know the voice is right
And when it's deep inside my soul
I'll know it by it's light

And when it's deep inside my soul
I'll know it by it's light
Help me to make the loving choice

Let me answer when I'm called
By the mighty and the small
In the service of my soul
Let there always be forgiveness
Forgive