Christmas Tree Farm

"Christmas Tree Farm" is a Christmas song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She wrote it on December 1, 2019, inspired by her affection for the holiday season, and produced it with Jimmy Napes. Republic Records released the track as a single on December 6 of that year. Opening with a 1950s-inspired jazzy intro, "Christmas Tree Farm" is a pop song driven by an upbeat arrangement, orchestral treatment, and jingle bells. The lyrics are about Swift's childhood memories of Christmas.
Music critics have praised "Christmas Tree Farm" as catchy and its lyricism as nostalgia-inducing; they have retrospectively listed it as one of the best Christmas songs. It reached number 91 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and the top 30 on the national charts of Croatia, Flanders, Hungary, and Scotland. The track received gold certifications in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Swift directed the music video for "Christmas Tree Farm", which features childhood home footage of her and her family. She performed the song live in 2019 at the Jingle Bell Ball in London and the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in New York City; the live version from the latter was released digitally in December 2020. An "Old Timey Version" of the track, in which the orchestral accompaniment is more emphasized along with elements of swing music, was released to digital music platforms in November 2022.
Having grown up in Pine Ridge Farm, a Christmas tree farm in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift expressed her love for the holiday season throughout her career and that she wishes "it was all year round". She stated that she helped her dad manage the farm during her childhood and that the environment influenced her affection for the season. She released her first Christmas record, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, on October 14, 2007, which includes four cover versions of Christmas classics and two original tracks co-written by Swift. The record peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Holiday Albums chart and number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States.
Swift wrote, recorded, and released "Christmas Tree Farm" in under six days. She wrote the song on piano on December 1, 2019, and recorded her vocals the following day. On December 3, a group of choral singers provided background vocals. Swift announced the track on Good Morning America on December 5, before Republic Records released it as a single the following day. A behind-the-scenes video that showcases the three-day creation process of "Christmas Tree Farm" was released on December 23, 2019.
Republic Records released a live recording at iHeartRadio's 2019 Jingle Ball for digital download and streaming on December 19, 2020. On November 22, 2021, Swift announced an "Old Timey Version" of the track on Good Morning America, released on the same day as an Amazon Music exclusive. A behind-the-scenes video featuring the process of making the new version accompanied its release. The track was released to digital music platforms on November 23, 2022. A collection containing the original, new, and live versions was released in November 2024.
Swift produced "Christmas Tree Farm" with Jimmy Napes, who provided background vocals and played piano. Gus Pirelli played Moog bass and recorded the track at London Lane Studios in the United Kingdom, assisted by Jamie McEvoy, Joseph Wander, and Will Purton. Serban Ghenea provided audio mixing, with John Hanes serving as the mixing engineer. Simon Hale conducted the string arrangement and Lawrence Johnson worked as the vocal arranger. Musicians who played instruments for "Christmas Tree Farm" include Bruce White (viola), Jodi Milliner (bass guitar), Ian Burdge (cello), Chris Laurence (double bass), and Ash Soan (drums); John Thurgood, Laurence Davies, and Martin Owen played French horn. Several singers provided choral background vocals, including Candice-Mimi Otohwo, Destinee Knight-Scott, Glenn Tatenda Gwazai, Jessica Mae Obioha, Lorrain Briscoe, Margeaux Michelle, Paul Lee, Tarna Renae Johnson, Tehillah Daniel, The LJ Singers, Travis J Cole, Wayne Hernandez, and Wendi Rose.
"Christmas Tree Farm" is 3 minutes and 47 seconds long. It is a Christmas-themed pop song and a sentimental ballad that features an upbeat arrangement, an uptempo rhythm, and 1960s music influences. It begins with a jazzy intro showcasing 1950s-inspired strings, which was compared to the music of Nat King Cole and Karen Carpenter by The A.V. Club's Gwen Ihnat. The song then transitions into the main upbeat pop part that features jingle bell percussion; Critics stated that it evokes the music of Mariah Carey and Phil Spector. Parade's Jessica Sager likened the composition of "Christmas Tree Farm" to music on Spector's album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector (1963). Ihnat and NME's Hannah Mylrea considered it a return to Swift's country music roots. Featuring a new arrangement and a 70-piece orchestra, the "Old Timey Version" incorporates horns, strings, and muted jingle bells along with elements of swing music.
The lyrics recall Swift's nostalgic childhood memories from an adult perspective. In the intro, she expresses her stress amid the chaotic nature of the holiday season, before she closes her eyes and envisions being in a different place. She wishes to visit the Christmas tree farm in her heart and depicts a fanciful scene: "In my heart is a Christmas tree farm/ Where the people would come/ To dance under sparkling lights/ Bundled up in their mittens and coats/ And the cider would flow/ And I just wanna be there tonight." Swift sings in the hook to her lover, "Everything is icy and blue/ And you would be there too", before admitting in the refrain, "Just being in your arms/ Takes me back to that little farm/ Where every wish comes true."
Music critics believed that "Christmas Tree Farm" succeeded in the context of using the holiday season to reflect Swift's childhood memories, and lauded the youthful and nostalgic feel of the song. Paste's Jane Song dubbed it "twinkly, fresh and happy", Esquire's Bria McNeal described it as "dazzling", and Mylrea thought that it captured "everything that's great about a Christmas song"–an upbeat tune, a cozy feeling, and a soothing nature. Several music journalists praised "Christmas Tree Farm" as catchy and dubbed it an "earworm".
The production of "Christmas Tree Farm" was also a subject of praise by critics, who believed that its heavy orchestration resulted in "maximum holiday glee" and praised its "irrepressible" hook. American Songwriter's Alex Hopper thought that best part of the song was the bridge and considered the track one of the five most underrated Christmas songs. "Christmas Tree Farm" appeared in rankings of Swift's discography by Song (72 out of 158), Mylrea (84 out of 161), Vulture's Nate Jones (185 out of 245), and Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield (203 out of 274).
Several publications listed "Christmas Tree Farm" in their lists of the best Christmas songs. Billboard ranked it as the eighth best Christmas song of the 21st century, and The A.V. Club included it on its list of the 18 best Christmas songs of the 2010s decade. In 2019, British GQ and NME considered it one of the best newly released Christmas songs. Stylist named "Christmas Tree Farm" the fifth best Christmas song of all time, while Time Out picked it as the 14th best. The track was included in unranked lists by Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, and PinkNews.
"Christmas Tree Farm" debuted at number 147 on the Billboard Global 200 chart on the week ending January 2, 2021, before peaking at number 91 in January 2025. In the United States, it accumulated 7.7 million streams and sold 26,000 digital downloads in its opening week, debuting at number two on the Digital Songs chart dated December 12, 2019. The song marked Swift's 49th top-ten song on the chart, extending her all-time record. On the week ending December 14, 2019, it debuted at number 25 on the Adult Contemporary chart, before peaking at number three in its third week. The song debuted at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated December 21, 2019, becoming Swift's 96th entry on the chart. It reached number 19 on the Holiday 100 chart, number 40 on the Adult Pop Airplay chart, and number 65 on the Rolling Stone Top 100 chart.
In the United Kingdom, "Christmas Tree Farm" debuted at number 71 in December 2019, before peaking at number 44 in December 2021. It reached number 13 in Croatia, number 16 in Scotland, number 23 in Flanders, number 29 in Hungary, number 40 in Canada, number 49 in Australia, and number 51 in Ireland. "Christmas Tree Farm" was certified gold in Australia and the United Kingdom.
"Christmas Tree Farm (Old Timey Version)" reached number 98 on the Billboard Global 200 chart dated January 1, 2022. In the United States, it peaked at number 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart, number 46 on the Holiday 100 chart, and number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Christmas Tree Farm (Old Timey Version)" reached number 84 on the national chart of Sweden in the last week of 2023.
Swift announced the self-directed music video for "Christmas Tree Farm" on her social media accounts on December 5, 2019. It aired on Good Morning America on the morning of the following day, and was released digitally along with a lyric video. The music video features childhood home footage of her and her family, filmed at Pine Ridge Farm. It captures them sledding, sitting on Santa's lap, playing in the snow, and gathering by a Christmas tree. The video includes a clip of Swift joyfully unwrapping a present containing her first acoustic guitar on a Christmas morning; People's Melody Chiu described it as the video's "most heartwarming moment". It additionally contains footage of the farm days before Swift's birth and transitions to its different areas, showcasing stockings placed by the fireplace, numerous Christmas lights decorated around the home, and her pet dog playing in the garden.
Swift performed "Christmas Tree Farm" at the Jingle Bell Ball in London on December 8, 2019, wearing a white belted playsuit and thigh-high boots. Footage of her childhood and falling snowflakes appeared in the background throughout the performance. On December 13, she reprised the performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City as part of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball, donning a sequin gold dress and knee-high boots. Rolling Stone's Patrick Doyle lauded her vocals during the performance, which featured "Beach Boys-y harmonies and a Wall of Sound arrangement".
Credits shown below are adapted from Qobuz.