Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Subject: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 02:32 AM

At the Mudcat Singaround today, Joan Frankel sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Joan said that Judy Garland said that the song was far too depressing, so she insisted that the lyrics be changed for her performance of the song in the 1944 movie Meet Me in St. Louis.

Wikipedia tells how the song was altered in various ways by various people.

Subject: ADDPOP: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 02:34 AM

Here's my transcription of the 1957 Frank Sinatra recording. This is how I know the song.

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
(Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on
Our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on
Our troubles will be miles away

Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more

Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now

Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more

Through the years
We all will be together
If the fates allow
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now


Songwriters: Ralph Blane / Hugh Martin

Frank Sinatra recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvA7-EjaSPI

Subject: ADDPOP: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 03:19 AM

Here's my transcription from the movie:

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
(Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
Next year all
Our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
Next year all
Our troubles will be miles away

Once again as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more

Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Util then we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now


Judy Garland performance in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreWsnhQwzY

Subject: Version: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 03:24 AM

And here are the original lyrics:

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
(Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
It may be your last.
Next year we may all be living in the past.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Pop that champagne cork.
Next year we may all be living in New York.

No good times like the olden days.
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who were dear to us.
Will be near to us no more.

But at least we all will be together.
If the Lord allows.
From now on, we'll have to muddle through somehow.
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

From https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/original-lyrics-have-yourself-a-merry-little-christmas-judy-garland/

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 06:11 AM

Obviously, inanities abound in Christmas songs so maybe I shouldn't ask. But why would you wish anyone a "little" Christmas? What means this?

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 06:17 AM

Usaian Christmas drivel

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 06:50 AM

Dunno about that, Bonzo. Can there be anything worse than that awful McCartney one, Wonderful Christmastime?

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 07:21 AM

Possibly not, but a during visit to our local Sainsbury's last Saturday I was forced to endure "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" by Bing Crosby which is extends far beyond any description meaning dire!!!

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Mysha
Date: 27 Dec 22 - 08:03 AM

Steve,

That's because English lacks the word for hyggelig/gezellig. Often, the closest description used is "cosy", but it doesn't really do the sentiment justice. The "little" works quite well here, provided you don't pay attention to the actual meaning.

Mysha

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: GUEST,Dave Hanson
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 03:16 AM

Condescending drivel in my humble opinion.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Mysha
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 09:48 AM

I always wonder why people say that. After all, the reason they say "in my humble opinion", is that they are lunatics who consider their opinion more important than everyone else's. So why would they claim their opinion is "humble"?

Risking thread-drift here, I'd like to mention that I prefer introducing my words with "In the immortal words of Paddy McGee:".

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Mysha
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 11:50 AM

Sorry, a bit to sharp.

I'll keep my mouth shut for the rest of the year, unless spoken to.
Mysha

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 01:02 PM

That clip of Judy Garland singing the song to Margaret O'Brien was kind of a magical moment in what was otherwise a pretty sappy movie, IMO.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 01:25 PM

that was me

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 01:40 PM

Well, Mysha, I've been told off for using the abbreviated version "in m'humble" a few times. But I'm so humble that "Humility" is my middle name and I'll shout it from the rooftops!

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Mo the caller
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 02:14 PM

Glad that other people agree with my loathing of that song.
"From now on
Our troubles will be miles away"
Oh yes, who says?
The same person who says "cheer up, it may never happen", when it already has.

And O would imagine that anyone who sees Christmas as a religious occasion would much like to be wished "a merry LITTLE Christmas"

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: GUEST,gilly
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 02:26 PM

You forgot to add bah humbug.-

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: GUEST,MichaelKM
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 06:38 PM

Do you remember the scene in 'The Victors' in which a deserter is executed by firing squad, while Frank Sinatra sings the song on the soundtrack?

---

link posted by Joe Offer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N2o6MAxecA

Subject: ADD: Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 07:14 PM

I gotta say that I never liked this song, but I found the song much more interesting once I heard Joan Frankel's explanation of the story.

And now, in an attempt to alienate almost everyone (including me), here is Hugh Martin's religious rewrite of his song.

HAVE YOURSELF A BLESSED LITTLE CHRISTMAS
(Hugh Martin / Ralph Blane)

Christmas Future is far away
Christmas Past is past
Christmas Present is here today
Bringing joy that will last

Have yourself a blessed little Christmas
Christ the King is born
Let your voices ring upon this happy morn

Have yourself a blessed little Christmas
Serenade the Earth
Tell the world we celebrate the Savior's birth

Let us all proclaim the joyous tidings
Voices raised on high
Send this carol soaring up into the sky,
This very merry blessed Christmas lullaby.

Let us gather to sing to Him
And to bring to Him our praise
Son of God and a Friend of all
To the end of all our days

Sings hosannas, hymns, and hallelujahs
As to Him we bow
Make the music mighty as the heav’ns allow
And have yourself a blessed little Christmas now.

(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - December 2006)

Michael O'Brien performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5R6PoW5LpE

Ginger Millermon recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5vcnGUB0wg

I didn't find a recording with all of the lyrics above, but the Millermon recording is pretty close. No, you will never hear me sing this song - but I very much appreciated Joan Frankel's performance and explanation of the profound sadness expressed in the original version.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: GUEST,MichaelKM
Date: 29 Dec 22 - 06:13 AM

In the original lyrics, what is the significance of the line 'Next year we may all be living in New York'? As the general theme seems to be 'Enjoy yourselves now; next year we may all be dead', does this imply that being in New York is a living death?

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 29 Dec 22 - 06:27 AM

The New York bit is a reference to the plot of the film where the father's work would take the whole family there. After hearing the song, he changes his mind about going.

LFF

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: leeneia
Date: 29 Dec 22 - 01:39 PM

I've always found this song tiresome, and now I realize that when people sing it, they make it sound like a dirge. Try singing it with a gentle smile, and try to sound like you're singing it to someone you love, whose very existence makes you happy.

In other words, don't replicate the deadpan Frank Sinatra version.

Long ago, I learned in choir that one doesn't have to sing a high note loudly. Practice singing high notes softly by pretending to let the note drop on the floor. This is a good thing to do with the word "star" in this song.
=========
Somebody wrote a book called "Why People Don't Sing," and pointed out the most people don't sing nowadays, but when they do, they sing popular songs and they imitate every variation, every nuance, of the pop star's version exactly. I have vowed not to do that.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 29 Dec 22 - 02:24 PM

> the pop star's version

Including the accent. It irritates me more than somewhat when someone speaks with an English accent, but then sings in a nasal mid-Western whine, even unto their own songs. Once upon a time, Hollywood put a premium on actors who had English accents.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: leeneia
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 01:12 PM

Thousands of Midwesterners do not speak in a nasal whine.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 31 Dec 22 - 05:31 AM

.... apologies: I get my impressions of accents from the telly and records, as do most East-Pondians. Perhaps it's that the offending singers are attempting to emulate Old Scouse, which (before the Clean-Air Acts ruined it) was one-third Welsh, one-third Irish and one-third catarrh.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jan 23 - 01:31 AM

And we Midwesterners think it's Canadians who sing in a nasal whine. But most of are too polite to say so.
Midwesterners are very polite....

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: Mo the caller
Date: 01 Jan 23 - 03:09 PM

As far as imitating accents go...
I was surprised to listen to my preschool grand daughter playing. Talked to us in normal English but acted out stories with her toys in an American voice.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 05:38 AM

I used to do that when I was small: carry toy gun, speak in drawl. I blame the Lone Ranger [but that's another saga].

Conversely, I heard once that parents in the US were getting worried that their preschool children had acquired English(-tinged?) accents, due to the insidious influence of Pepper Pig. It almost makes up for English speakers on the Beeb (reporters now as well as interviewees) referring to "levverage" in financial contexts, which for me would be a telly-brick offence if we had one.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 07 Jan 23 - 06:14 PM

From the BBC programme in their Soul Music series
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03m79cq

"Martin's collaborator and friend, John Fricke, explains the importance this song had for the composer and the joy he experienced in hearing it covered by every major artist since, from Frank Sinatra to Chrissie Hynde, Punk band Fear to Cold Play, Rod Stewart to James Taylor."

fwiw @ ~8:30 he reads out the 'original' lyrics, missing the Champgne line
and Lord becomes fates


Have yourself a merry little Christmas
It may be your last
Next year we may all be living in the past

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
Next year we may all be many miles away
No good times like the olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who were dear to us
Will be near to us no more

But at least we all will be together
If the fates alow
From now on we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now



Some of the contributors are purely talking about emotional conections to the song but the musicians and writers are @

~6:45 John Fricke

~12:30 Jeremy Summerly

~23:30 Chris Willman & John Fricke.

Subject: RE: Origins: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
From: leeneia
Date: 08 Jan 23 - 03:08 PM

I got a surprise when I sounded out "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on the piano. The surprise was how easy it is to play. It is full of tonic chords (played sequentially, not thumped) and little runs up and down the scale.

Give it a try.