SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 12 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

ed note: This article was originally published on December 12th, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday song for every day of Advent. This is the greatest music of the season. Enjoy.

Day 12: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas performed by Judy Garland

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven

There are a few cultural icons produced by the 1944 film “Meet Me in St. Louis.”  For example, it’s where Judy Garland met Vincente Minelli, thus creating Liza.  I had a film TA in college who theorized that the film inspired “Night of the Living Dead.”  But the one I care about the most is that staple of treacly holiday radio, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

A great many BAD versions of this song have been produced.  James Taylor has brought his special brand of anodyne blandness to it.  I once heard a bowdlerized version of it that replaced the word “fates” with “Lord.”  I guess the original line is just too pagan.  I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until Taylor Swift yell-sings her way through with her trademark lack of vocal subtlety.  (To whomever decides these things, I would happily pay $1.29 to hear Josh Groban do it.)  But Judy Garland’s lovely, heartfelt original is one of the finest pieces of Christmas music ever produced.

A great many of our holiday standards are unabashedly joyful.  Those are fine, I’m happy to hear “Silver Bells” and “This Christmas.”  But my favorite pieces of holiday art are the ones with a touch of melancholy about them, like A Charlie Brown Christmas.  To me, as a non-religious person, the holiday season is about finding light during the darkest time of year.  Most religions have a similar holiday, usually around the winter solstice.  Christmas, Hanukah, and Diwali, for example, are all about miracles and triumphs that chase away the darkness (metaphorical and otherwise).  Whether it’s baby Jesus born to bring hope, or lighting the way for Rama after his defeat of evil, it’s basically the same idea.

In Meet Me in St. Louis, the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is sung by Esther to her youngest sister Tootie after they learn they are leaving their St. Louis home for New York.  The song is Esther ostensibly trying to comfort Tootie by assuring her they will always have Christmastime to come with their loved ones, in person or in spirit.  But Esther is really singing about her own sense of loss at moving, and trying to remind herself that there will be joyful times in the future, even if all is bleak right now.  We can all use that reminder some years.

A very merry whatever to all!

Tina S

Tina is a sometime contributor to SeedSing and occasional guest of the X Millennial Man podcast. One time we even let her host the show.