Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2011) |
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | |
---|---|
Song | |
Language | English |
Published | 1943, 1944; alternate lyrics added by Martin 1957; copyright renewed 1971, 1972[1] |
Composer(s) | Ralph Blane |
Lyricist(s) | Hugh Martin |
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. In 2007, ASCAP ranked "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" the third most performed Christmas song during the preceding five years that had been written by ASCAP members.[3]
Meet Me in St. Louis
The song was written while Martin was vacationing in a house in Birmingham, Alabama, that his father Hugh Martin[4] designed for his mother as a honeymoon cottage. The house was located in the Southside section of the city, across the street from Hugh's mother and right beside her aunt. The song first appeared in a scene in Meet Me in St. Louis, in which a family is distraught by the father's plans to move to New York City for a job promotion, leaving behind their beloved home in St. Louis, Missouri, just before the long-anticipated Louisiana Purchase Exposition begins. In a scene set on Christmas Eve, Judy Garland's character, Esther, sings the song to cheer up her despondent five-year-old sister, Tootie, played by Margaret O'Brien.[5]
However, when presented with the original draft lyric, Garland, her co-star Tom Drake and director Vincente Minnelli criticized the song as depressing, and asked Martin to change the lyrics.[1] Though he initially resisted, Martin made several changes to make the song more upbeat. For example, the lines "It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past" became "Let your heart be light / Next year all our troubles will be out of sight".[1] Garland's version of the song, which was also released as a single by Decca Records, became popular among United States troops serving in World War II; her performance at the Hollywood Canteen brought many soldiers to tears.[6]
Subsequent version
In 1957, Frank Sinatra asked Martin to revise the line "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow". He told Martin, "The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?"[1] Martin's new line was "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough". Martin made several other alterations, changing the song's focus to a celebration of present happiness, rather than anticipation of a better future. On The Judy Garland Show Christmas Special, Judy sings the song to her children Joey and Lorna Luft with Sinatra's alternate lyrics.[7]
The lyrics Judy Garland sang in Meet Me in St. Louis have been recorded with only slight variations by a number of artists, including Sinatra himself (in 1950 and 1963 single recordings), Doris Day (in The Doris Day Christmas Album), Ella Fitzgerald (in Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas), James Taylor (in October Road) and Luther Vandross (in This Is Christmas).[1]
Other notable recordings
- 1948: Frank Sinatra recorded the song for the first time, which was included as a track on his four-disc 78 rpm set, Christmas Songs by Sinatra.
- 1956: Jackie Gleason recorded and released the song on his holiday album, Merry Christmas.[8]
- 1956: Joni James included this track in her holiday album, Merry Christmas from Joni.
- 1959: Connie Francis recorded and released the song on her holiday album, Christmas in My Heart.[9]
- 1960: Ella Fitzgerald recorded and released the song on her first holiday album, Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas.
- 1963: Frank Sinatra recorded the song a third time, which was released as a single (with "How Shall I Send Thee?" by Les Baxter's Balladeers as the B-Side).
- 1964: Doris Day recorded and released the song on her holiday album, The Doris Day Christmas Album.
- 1965: Andy Williams recorded and released the song on his holiday album, Merry Christmas (Andy Williams album).
- 1967: Barbra Streisand records the song on A Christmas Album.
- 1968: Tony Bennett includes the song on Snowfall/The Tony Bennett Christmas Album.
- 1970: The Jackson Five recorded the song on their Motown album Jackson 5 Christmas Album, sung mainly by Jermaine Jackson.
- 1971: The Partridge Family recorded and released the song on their holiday album, A Partridge Family Christmas Card.
- 1978: The Carpenters recorded and released the song on their first holiday album, Christmas Portrait.
- 1978: The Muppets, including Bert and Ernie, recorded this song for the PBS holiday TV special, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.
- 1979: John Denver and The Muppets recorded the song for the holiday television special, John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (and its accompanying soundtrack album).
- 1987: The Pretenders recorded the song, which was included on the holiday charity album A Very Special Christmas.
- 1988: Tom Scott recorded the song, which was released on the holiday compilation album, A GRP Christmas Collection.
- 1992: Amy Grant recorded and released the song on her second holiday album, Home for Christmas.
- 1993: Vince Gill recorded and released the song on his first holiday album, Let There Be Peace on Earth. (this recording peaked at # 52 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in early January 1994, and also charted on the same Billboard chart again in late 1994/early 1995 (# 54) and in early January 1998 (# 64).
- 1994: Kenny G recorded and released an instrumental version of the song on his first holiday album, Miracles: The Holiday Album (this recording peaked at # 26 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in early January 1995).
- 1994: Paul Hardcastle Recorded by Kiss the Sky Presented by Paul Hardcastle. Paul's first ever cover of a Christmas song.
- 1995: Luther Vandross recorded and released the song in his holiday album This Is Christmas.
- 1998: Chicago recorded and released the song on their first holiday album, Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album.
- 1998: Martina McBride recorded and released the song on her first holiday album, White Christmas (this recording charted three times on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart: January 1999 (# 54), January 2000 (# 53) and December 2000/January 2001 (# 59)).
- 1998: Diana Krall recorded and released the song on her holiday EP of the same name. Two versions were recorded during these sessions. The EP version features the Diana Krall Trio backed with a lush orchestral arrangement; the alternate recording features only her trio (piano, guitar, bass).
- 1999: Take 6 recorded and released the song on her holiday album We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Take 6 album).
- 2000: Lonestar recorded and released the song on their first holiday album, This Christmas Time (this recording peaked at 71 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks in early January 2001). Linda Eder records the song on her Christmas Stays the Same album.
- 2000: Christina Aguilera recorded and released the song on her holiday album My Kind of Christmas.
- 2001: Linda Ronstadt recorded as the title song on her best selling A Merry Little Christmas (Linda Ronstadt album)
- 2001: James Taylor recorded the song, which was released to radio stations for promotion only (this same version was included on Taylor's 2002 non-holiday studio album, October Road).
- 2001: Coldplay recorded the song, which was released on the holiday compilation album, Maybe This Christmas.
- 2002: Plus One recorded the song in Medley and released on their Christmas album
- 2004: LeAnn Rimes recorded and released the song on her first Christmas album, What a Wonderful World.
- 2005: Diana Krall recorded the song again, and released this updated version on her full-length holiday album, Christmas Songs.
- 2006: Aimee Mann recorded and released the song on her first Christmas album, One More Drifter in the Snow.
- 2006: The Muppets, with Kermit the Frog, recorded and released another version of the song for their holiday album, The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas.
- 2007: The Cheetah Girls recorded the song on the Disney Channel Holiday compilation album.
- 2007: Demi Lovato recorded the song on her EP Be Like a Pop Star.
- 2008: Neil Sedaka recorded and released the song on his first holiday album, The Miracle of Christmas.
- 2009: Colbie Caillat recorded the song, which was released the song on holiday compilation album, A Very Special Christmas 7.
- 2009: Bob Dylan recorded and released the song on his first holiday album, Christmas in the Heart.
- 2009: David Archuleta recorded a duet with Filipino singer Charice and released the song on his Christmas album, Christmas from the Heart.
- 2011: Filipino pop crooner Richard Poon recorded and released the song on his holiday album, Christmas with Richard Poon.
- 2011: Michael Bublé recorded and released the song on his album Christmas.
- 2011: Lydia recorded and released the song as a single.[10]
- 2011: Andrew Belle recorded and released the song as a single.[11]
- 2012: Lady Antebellum recorded and released the song on their Christmas album, On This Winter's Night.
- 2012: Cascada recorded and released the song on their Christmas album, It's Christmas Time.
- 2012: Briana Cash recorded and released the song on her Christmas album, All Around Me, It's Christmas.
- 2012: Steps recorded the song for their christmas themed album Light Up The World
Religious lyrics
In 2001 the 86-year-old composer Hugh Martin, occasionally active as a pianist with religious ministries since the 1980s, wrote an entirely new set of lyrics to the song with John Fricke, "Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas", a religious version of the secular Christmas standard. The song was recorded by gospel female vocalist Del Delker with Martin accompanying her on piano.[12]
In 2002, NewSong lead singer Michael O'Brien noted the line "through the years, we all will be together if the Lord allows," which was part of the original song, was purged and replaced with "if the fates allow" to remove religious reference when the song was released. He noted while a pastor in a California church in 1990, he had met Martin, who played piano at the church where O'Brien was serving for an evening, and the pastor was told, "That's the original way I wrote it, so I want you to sing it this way." [13] In addition to NewSong, Rachael Lampa, Twila Paris, Kathy Troccoli, Phil Wickham, BarlowGirl, and Don Moen have recorded the song with the original lyrics.[citation needed]
In other languages
- Monica Forsberg has written lyrics in Swedish, "Det är dags att tända alla ljusen" ("It is time to light all the candles"), which has been recorded by Lasse Berghagen.[citation needed]
In popular culture
- The song is also used in The Godfather during the Christmas scenes.
- A recording by Jerry Vale is featured in the film Donnie Brasco.
- Mel Tormé's version is featured prominently in Home Alone.
- The version by saxophonist Kenny G is featured in the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street.
- The song, sung by Mandy Barnett, is featured on episode 4 of Political Animals.
References
- ^ a b c d e Willman, Chris (2006-12-22). "There's Something About Merry". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
- ^ Studwell, William Emmett (1995). "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". The Christmas carol reader. Routledge. p. 136. ISBN 1-56023-872-0.
- ^ "ASCAP Announces Top 25 Holiday Songs" (Press release). ASCAP. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
- ^ Martin Huge Cottage
- ^ Dirks, Tim (1996). "Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)". The Greatest Films. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
- ^ Collins, Ace (2001). Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. pp. 78–79. ISBN 0-310-23926-5.
- ^ "The Christmas Special". The Judy Garland Show. Season 1. Episode 15. 1963-12-22. 1:54 minutes in. CBS. CBS Television City.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Merry Christmas by Jackie Gleason & His Orchestra from AllMusic
- ^ Christmas in My Heart by Connie Francis from AllMusic
- ^ Lydia Have Posted a Christmas Tune
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAtQfdL-sdg
- ^ "The Carpenter and the King". The Voice of Prophesy. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
- ^ CBS.COM - The Christmas Shoes from CBS
External links
- Entertainment Weekly article - with the history of the song's lyrics, including three different versions
- 1944 songs
- Songs written by Ralph Blane
- Songs written by Hugh Martin
- Judy Garland songs
- Connie Francis songs
- Frank Sinatra songs
- Perry Como songs
- Amy Grant songs
- James Taylor songs
- LeAnn Rimes songs
- Trini Lopez songs
- Doris Day songs
- Neil Diamond songs
- Bing Crosby songs
- Randy Travis songs
- John Denver songs
- Barbra Streisand songs
- Bob Dylan songs
- The Partridge Family songs
- Christmas songs
- Songs from Meet Me in St. Louis
- Etta James songs