Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Judy Garland Lyrics
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Let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
Next year all our troubles will be miles away
Once again as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more
Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Judy Garland's Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is a song that is both melancholic and hopeful. It is an expression of the holiday's mixed emotions - a time of joy and celebration, but also a time of yearning for the things that we don't have or have lost. The song encourages us to embrace the moment, despite our difficulties, and cherish the people who matter most to us.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer wishes the listener a merry Christmas and reminds them to lighten their heart. The second line gives a hint about why the heart should be light; all our troubles will be out of sight next year. The next few lines reflect on the festive spirit of the holiday, urging us to make the most of the season and enjoy ourselves. But as the verse ends, the singer reminds us that these joys are fleeting, and our troubles will still be with us next year.
The second verse emphasizes the importance of family and friends during the holidays. The singer longs for the happy days of old, when they were together with their loved ones. The line "faithful friends who are dear to us will be near to us once more" speaks of the comfort and familiarity of those relationships. However, the following line, "Someday soon we all will be together if the fates allow" shows that these relationships can be fragile, and some people may not be with us forever.
The final verse reminds us to appreciate what we have in the present moment. It acknowledges that we may have to "muddle through" our difficulties, but we must still find a way to enjoy life. The song ends with one more wish for a merry little Christmas, an invitation to embrace the spirit of the season, and a reminder that the future is uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Wish yourself a happy Christmas, despite our troubles
Let your heart be light
Try to be optimistic and joyful
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight
Hope for a better future without any problems
Make the yuletide gay
Enjoy the festive season
Next year all our troubles will be miles away
Anticipate a future where our troubles are far behind us
Once again as in olden days
Hark back to the happy memories of the past
Happy golden days of yore
Remember the good times we had before
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Recall the importance of our loyal companions
Will be near to us once more
We will be reunited with those we cherish
Someday soon we all will be together
We look forward to the day that we can all be united once again
If the fates allow
If things work out in our favour
Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow
In the meantime, we'll have to cope as best we can
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Still, try to have a happy holiday in the present
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@celestryrose6687
But these are the first original lyrics to the song:
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
@thorn262
emcanet "What is it?" I'll take this as asking the question, what was the zeitgeist of 'the muddled times of 1944'? It's important to remember that daily life surrounding the 'entertainment' of 'Meet Me in St. Louis' and 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,’ was mostly dire and unforgiving. The depression era had not yet subsided, and the murky question was left lingering in the conscience of the public, ‘Are we going to lose this war?’ (and that had been since the beginning of the U.S. engagement, not to mention that of Europe. The Nazis and Japanese were not to be struck dead in a moment). Hence, the devastating, emotional prying-effect of Judy Garland’s song, the ramifications of which FAR overshadowed the literal meanings of the film. Here, two notable call-outs from reviews/essays that give some of the (forgotten) sense of the times:
The American Christmas Songbook: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (1943)
(The lyrics were) even more devastating when you consider that 'Meet Me in St. Louis' was released during World War II. Had the original lyrics been kept, the (song) would have sent moviegoers into hysterics.
https://www.lib.cua.edu/wordpress/newsevents/9980/
'How to have yourself a merry little Christmas with an edge'
The two aspects of the picture - the warm nostalgia and the stabbing hysteria - give 'Meet Me in St. Louis' a special flavour, both sweet and astringent. This (was) no doubt (due to the producers) making an escapist film while the war was at its height and allies were counting down to D-day.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/dec/02/christmas.film
@JohnSimpson36
The OG lyrics before Judy asked to change it;
"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."
@micpowers1136
HER VIBRATO WAS THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD.
@rudolphstone5893
Mic Powers facts!
@heneralantonioluna8725
@@gollycom bah hambug
@terrygrant2028
Hey Scrooge, grow-up you dork.
@gollycom
@@heneralantonioluna8725 Spar quumsplug 😂😂😂😂😂🐹🐹🎃🎅🎄🏃🏃🙌🙌🙌🙌🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃🙆🙆
@marylawson6060
@@gollycom For shame.
@jakesworld2180
“Until then, we’ll just have to muddle through, somehow”. This song always makes me cry.
@acitizen5186
A great lyric changed to the anemic "Hang a star upon the highest bough." in some versions. Ludicrous!
@pacomartini
A Citizen that lyric change has always bothered me...not the same song.
@eve36368
her vocal power at that point does make me cry. when i hear a lot of instrumental at that point in cover versions I think negatively of the singer.
also the song was so dark that even Judy Garland was like we need to make this more happier this is being sung to a little kid! https://web.archive.org/web/20190920013041/https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/mary-schmich/ct-met-have-yourself-a-merry-christmas-mary-schmich-20171215-story.html