By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
Since Nov. 1, everywhere I go, it’s been Christmas music everywhere. I’m not complaining. I’m one of those people who looks forward to this music all year. I have my favorite songs and my least favorite songs (“Little Drummer Boy” and “Christmas Shoes” come to mind), and so do you.
At the top of my list of favorites is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” as originally sung by Judy Garland in the movie “Meet Me in St. Louis.”
It harkens me back to those Christmases of yore adorned by Shiny Brite ornaments, chalkware manger scenes and aluminum trees. The happy golden days of the mid-century modern Christmases of my childhood were filled with loved ones from Garland’s generation. Every time I hear this song, I’m filled with nostalgia for the times when we all were together.
The song works something like a time travel device, evoking a wistfulness for the past while anticipating and hoping for a future free from trouble. But the most powerful line is the one that speaks to the present: “until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow.”
When Frank Sinatra recorded the song, he asked songwriter Hugh Martin to “jolly up” that line for him, according to a 2006 article in Entertainment Weekly by Chris Willman. And so the line became “hang a shining star upon the highest bough.”
Martin reflected in the article, “I still kind of like ‘muddle through’ somehow myself. It’s just so kind of . . . down-to-earth.”
I enjoy the brighter version, but I’m partial to the original. If the lyrics are tinged with sadness, it’s in the service of acknowledging where this season full of bright lights and brimming expectations finds so many.
The line cleverly meets us where we are in the hustle — muddling through the stresses, concerns, griefs and losses of life.
It acknowledges melancholy that this season stirs in our hearts, but also invites us to hold it there lightly. There is a merry, little Christmas to be had, and it doesn’t need “jollying up,” or disguising with ribbons and bows unless that’s what we need.
I like the idea that Christmas can come and even be merry in the midst of the muddle, that even though the world feels sometimes weary, there is hope.
Whether your holiday mood dictates that you are drawn to the merrier or the more bittersweet version of this classic, you’ve got hundreds if not thousands of recordings to match it.
My Spotify search turned up a full search limit of 500 recordings. The song’s ubiquity speaks to its relatability. It’s been recorded by everyone including James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Kelly Clarkson, Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street, John Legend, Twisted Sister and even Regis Philbin. So take your pick.
And whether you are in good health or poor, experiencing a season of solace or grief, a time of joy or sadness, I hope you do have yourself a merry, little Christmas.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.