A Merry Little Christmas: Best Man Holiday Cheer

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is a classic Christmas song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis. Garland's character, Esther Smith, sings the song to comfort her younger sister, Tootie, who is upset about their family's impending move from St. Louis to New York. The original lyrics, written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, were deemed too depressing and were revised before filming at Garland's request. Over the years, the song has been covered by numerous artists, including Frank Sinatra, who further modified the lyrics to make them more upbeat and optimistic. The song has become a beloved Christmas standard, covered and reimagined by generations of musicians, and remains a popular choice for the holiday season.

Judy Garland's 1944 performance

Martin initially resisted changing the lyrics, but eventually gave in and rewrote them to be more upbeat. The new lyrics replaced the line "It may be your last" with "Let your heart be light" and "Next year we may all be living in the past" with "Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight." Garland's performance of the song became popular among US troops serving in World War II, and her rendition at the Hollywood Canteen brought many soldiers to tears. The song reached No. 27 on the Billboard charts.

Garland's simple and heartfelt delivery of the song, combined with the revised lyrics, helped turn "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" into a beloved holiday standard that has been covered by numerous artists over the years.

The song's original lyrics

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. The song was introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical "Meet Me in St. Louis".

The original lyrics penned by Martin were rejected before filming began. Garland, her co-star Tom Drake, and director Vincente Minnelli criticized the song as depressing and asked Martin to change the lyrics. Martin initially resisted, but eventually made several changes to make the song more upbeat.

The original lyrics included the lines:

> Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

> Next year we may all be living in the past

> No good times like the olden days,

> Happy golden days of yore

> Faithful friends who were near to us,

> Will be near to us no more

These lyrics were replaced with the following:

> 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 Yule-tide gay

> Our troubles will be miles away...

Martin's original lyrics reflected the sombre tone of the scene in "Meet Me in St. Louis", where Garland's character, Esther, sings the song to cheer up her despondent five-year-old sister, Tootie, played by Margaret O'Brien. The Smith family in the film is planning to move from St. Louis to New York, leaving behind their home, friends, and significant others.

The modified lyrics captured a more positive and hopeful message while still acknowledging the challenges of the present. The song became a favourite among United States troops serving in World War II, and its enduring appeal lies in its ability to resonate with people who experience loneliness or sadness during the festive season.

The song's subsequent renditions

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" has been covered by numerous artists since Judy Garland first introduced it in the 1944 film "Meet Me in St. Louis". The song has become a Christmas classic, with many musicians putting their own spin on it over the years.

Frank Sinatra recorded the song three times, including a version with modified lyrics. In 1957, Sinatra asked songwriter Hugh Martin to revise the lyrics to promote more positive themes. For example, the line "until then we'll have to muddle through somehow" was changed to "hang a shining star upon the highest bough". Sinatra's recordings added a cheerier postwar sheen to the song and played a key role in its popularisation.

In 1998, Tori Amos included an acoustic version of the song as the B-side to her single "Spark". In 1993, Tatsuro Yamashita sang a cover with an orchestra. Chicago also covered the song in their nineteenth studio album "Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album".

In 2009, Keyshia Cole reached number 58 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with her version. In 2011, Michael Bublé's cover reached number 98 on the top 100 charts, climbing to a new peak of 41 in 2023. In 2014, Sam Smith's version debuted at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first time a rendition of the song had charted on that list. It also reached the top ten on the US and Canadian adult contemporary charts.

In 2016, Josh Groban's version reached number 1 on the US adult contemporary charts. Other artists who have covered the song include Kelly Clarkson, Coldplay, Phoebe Bridgers, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Grant, Kenny G, Egg, JoJo, John Legend, and the Backstreet Boys.

Frank Sinatra's 1957 version

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a Christmas song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. It was introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical "Meet Me in St. Louis". In the film, Garland's character sings the song to cheer up her despondent younger sister, who is upset about their family's impending move from St. Louis to New York City.

Frank Sinatra recorded the song twice, first in 1948 with the original lyrics, and then again in 1957 with modified lyrics. For his 1957 album "A Jolly Christmas", Sinatra asked Martin to revise the lyrics to promote more positive themes. Sinatra specifically requested a change to the line "until then we'll have to muddle through somehow", as he felt it was too depressing for a song on an album called "A Jolly Christmas". Martin changed the lyric to "hang a shining star upon the highest bough", and also shifted the song's focus from anticipating a better future to celebrating present happiness.

Sinatra's 1957 version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is included on his album "A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra", released by Capitol Records. The song's cheery tone, with glimmers of pain and longing, is characteristic of Sinatra's smooth and soothing vocal style.

The song's 2023 chart performance

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" has been covered by many artists since it was first introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 film "Meet Me in St. Louis". The song was written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.

In 2023, the song continued to chart and receive new covers. Former Fifth Harmony members Ally Brooke and Dinah Jane released a new cover, and Billie Eilish performed the song on "Saturday Night Live" alongside her brother Finneas on piano.

Michael Bublé's version of the song, originally released in 2011, reached a new peak in 2023, charting at number 41. This version was likely boosted by the ongoing popularity of Christmas songs by Bublé, who released a Christmas album in 2011 that continues to be a holiday staple.

English singer Sam Smith's 2014 cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" also continued to chart in 2023. The song reached the top ten on the US and Canadian adult contemporary charts and the US Holiday chart. It also peaked inside the top forty in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland.

In addition to the releases by Brooke, Jane, and Eilish, other notable covers of the song in 2023 included a version by American singer Lorna Luft, the daughter of Judy Garland, who recorded a "virtual duet" with her mother. This version was released as a CD single in the UK and peaked at number 100 on the UK singles chart.

Frequently asked questions