Christmas Countdown: #5

My #5 Christmas song is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The artist? Ugh! After much debating and self-deliberating, I have to go with the original, Miss Judy Garland herself. I was close to picking the Diana Kroll version, which I love, but when one reflects on the history of this song, you have to go with Dorothy, er... Judy's version.

The song was written for 19944's "Meet Me in St.Louis" Right in the middle of WWII, the song was supposed to be sad they said. Said, yet Judy was supposed to sing it and somehow smile through her tears. Judy, being Judy refused to sing it. The authors of the lyrics, knew they had a great melody and didn't want to re-write the lyrics, so there was a stand off. Thankfully Judy and company won.

Original lyrics:

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

     I could see these lyrics being sung by the senior class where I teach, but for Judy to sing them, during Christmas time, during a time of war when the world needs some home, what was the writer thinking. While a possibly realtity, maybe those lyrics were a bit too cynical for its time. Who knows what would have become of this song, or Judy for that matter, had the lyrics not been changed to something a bit more hopeful.

Recorded lyrics by Judy Garland:
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
Next year all our troubles will be miles away.....

Faithful friends who were dear to us
Will be near to us once more....

Yeah...a BIG improvement. Thanks Judy. Whenever I hear this song, I think of the movie. Hard to do if you've never seen it though. Be sure to over this Christmas break :)