Have yourselves a merry little Christmas

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is a beautiful song with a joyful message. It says, hey, be happy, because it is Christmas. Friends are around you and that shining star is above you. It is a time of hope and whatever is troubling you will be over soon.

Strangely though, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is considered one of the saddest Christmas songs ever written. I have seen supposedly hardened souls reduced to tears by this song and I am sure there must be millions or even billions of people with a similar experience during the past 75 years.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was composed by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane for Judy Garland to sing in the movie musical Meet Me in St. Louis. As Esther, Garland’s family in the movie is saddened by the news that they have to move to New York and leave their beloved home behind. She sings this to cheer up her little sister played by Margaret O’Brien.

Garland was then one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and she had this catch-in-the-throat voice that never failed to captivate listeners. Remember, she was also responsible for introducing one of the greatest songs of all time, Over the Rainbow. A song about a bright tomorrow performed by a teary-eyed Garland on the screen was a sure-fire formula for success.

There were two other new Martin-Blane compositions that Garland sang in the movie, The Trolley Song, which was nominated for an Academy Award and The Boy Next Door. But the one that ended up the most involving and enduring, and certainly the biggest seller of all was Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

That is believed to be due to the fact that although Christmas is supposed to be a happy time, people do get depressed by memories of past Christmases and are always fearful of changes in their future. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas with its reference to “happy golden days of yore” hits a bulls-eye on that sentiment.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is the second most popular Holiday song to come out of the pop era. In the No. 1 slot is The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) composed by Robert Wells and crooner Mel Torme and originally recorded by Nat King Cole. In the third rung is Happy X’Mas War is Over by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band.

The first time I encountered Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was in the war drama The Victors during the early ‘60s. I only saw Meet Me in St. Louis later when the film became available on video. It was the Frank Sinatra version of the song that was used as background music for a wintry scene wherein an army deserter was executed. It was sad hearing the song in that setting. I never saw The Victors again but that scene replays in my head whenever I hear Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. And I get that sad, hallowed out stomach feeling.

There is no avoiding being sad during Christmastime. More so when you already have many and surely varied Christmases in the past. But the arrival of Christmas every year renews faith in mankind and instills hope in the hearts of the saddest souls.

So sing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and wallow in the sadness. But I am sure you will also be smiling through your tears.

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.

Merry Christmas everyone.