24 December 2023 , 15:28
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If you are a fan of Christmas songs you more than likely have a specific playlist with classics like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on repeat since November - maybe even before that.
But did you know the version of the popular Christmas song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," was rewritten after the original version was labelled as too sinister? It's not the only song which has caused controversy with the very popular and sweary Fairytale in New York having been labelled as having homophobic and misogynistic slurs.
A few years ago people's attention also focused on "Baby, It's Cold Outside," where the lyrics portray a man who won't take no for an answer after a woman he has invited to have a drink declines with an excuse. But now people are turning to the cult Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
LadBible reports the song was first sung by Hollywood star, Judy Garland in 1944 for the film Meet Me in St Louis, the song was originally written by Hugh Martin who speaking to Classic FM said: "I found a little madrigal-like tune that I liked but couldn't make work, so I played with it for two or three days and then threw it in the wastebasket."
However, his musical collaborator Ralphe Blane stumbled across the song and decided it wasn't quite a wastebasket worthy and that he would develop it, even though the original lyrics were quite dark. Unbelievably, the original lyrics were not very festive.
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The original lyrics read: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, It may be your last, Next year we may all be living in the past."
Garland who encouraged the song to be amended, told the songwriters that people wanted warmth in a Christmas song. Eager to please the actress, the songwriters took another crack at the song taking her advice to heart and rewriting the verse.
According to Martin, "The [film producers] said, 'No, no - it's a sad scene, we want sort of an upbeat song, which will make it even sadder if she's smiling through her tears.' Then we wrote the one you know in the movie."
There are two pretty popular versions today, one is the version written for Garland, which goes: "Someday soon we all will be together, if the fates allow. Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow."
The other version is Frank Sinatra's which was released in 1999 and some may say is more festive, with some amended lyrics like: "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough."
Whatever version you listen to, knowing the history of the song and its context it's interesting to read the lyrics for the wildly popular Christmas song today.
Knowing the context, it's interesting to look at the full lyrics of the original festive tune:
"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."