O'Dell hosted a popular kids' TV show in the Los Angeles area, during the early 50s. He could be seen regularly as a guest out at Ray "Crash" Corrigans Ranch.
Doye's daily "Cowboy Thrills" show on Los Angeles' KTLA was a must-see for every kid. On Friday nights he emceed "Western Varieties" featuring Eddie Cletro and his band, comic actor Roscoe Ates, the Twin Tones (Penny & Patty Pollack) and weekly guests, Jimmy Wakley, Tex Williams, Eddie Dean and various vaudeville acts.
Blue Christmas
Doye O'Dell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't mean a thing, dear, if you're not here with me
I'll have a blue Christmas, that's certain
And when that blue heartache starts hurtin'
You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white
And when those blue snowflakes start fallin'
That's when those blue memories start callin'
You'll be doing all right
With your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas
I'll have a blue, blue Christmas
The lyrics to Doye O'Dell's song "Blue Christmas" convey the sorrowful feelings of missing someone during the holiday season. The repetition of "blue" throughout the lyrics emphasizes the sadness and loneliness felt when spending Christmas without a loved one. The song starts with the artist acknowledging that his Christmas will be blue without his loved one, and that he will constantly be thinking about them. The line "Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree won't mean a thing, dear, if you're not here with me" shows that even the festive decorations cannot bring joy to his life without his loved one present.
The second verse reinforces the certainty that the artist will have a blue Christmas, and when his heartache is at its worst, the loved one will be experiencing a "Christmas of white." The line "But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas" is once again repeated to drive home the point of the artist's sadness. The final verse brings in a sense of nostalgia with the mention of "blue snowflakes" calling up "blue memories." Despite the loved one having a happy Christmas, the artist will still be experiencing a blue Christmas without them.
Overall, "Blue Christmas" is a poignant song that reminds us of the importance of the people that we love and cherish, especially during the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
Christmas will not be joyful for me since you won't be here with me
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Thoughts of you will make me feel so miserable
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Red decorations contrasted with green Christmas tree symbolizes the emptiness felt inside
Won't mean a thing, dear, if you're not here with me
No matter how nicely decorated the tree is, I will still feel lonely without you
I'll have a blue Christmas, that's certain
Certainly, I will not have a happy Christmas
And when that blue heartache starts hurtin'
When my heart starts aching with sadness
You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white
You will probably be doing fine with your perfect Christmas
But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas
I will continue to have a sad Christmas filled with loneliness
And when those blue snowflakes start fallin'
When the snowflakes remind me of our memories, I will feel blue
That's when those blue memories start callin'
Memories of our past together start to flood my mind
But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas
Regardless of how many holiday wishes I receive, my Christmas will be full of sadness
Contributed by Stella C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lmk6058
Yes! You are absolutely correct!!!! Sometimes I spend too much time focusing on the negative and I sometimes I need someone to remind me of the positive thank you!
@alexle6008
beautiful song and the original
@EconAdviser
He had a popular Western variety show on KTLA, Los Angeles in the 1950s competing with Spade Cooley and other western band leaders. We grew up watching his show. Show was syndicated all over the west.
@sonnydave8551
Excellent version of the classic!
@jimhilliker2450
He was on Western Varieties on channel 5 in Los Angeles in the '50s. My wife's cousin, who became a professional pianist, saw a guy playing piano on Doye's show as a young girl. So, she got her mom and dad to let her take piano lessons.
@EconAdviser
Our house never missed watching the show. Or Spade Cooley show, or Spike Jones show. My dad had a beer bar he ran in Ocean Park on the Santa Monica pier down the street from where Lawrence Welk broadcast his show before he went national on networks.
@lmk6058
Yes my grandfather wrote this song originally then later this song was sold to Elvis presley
@ptah31
That's too cool!
@upcamehill2773
I think Ernest Tubb's version was the best.
@tracyq989
Wowsa!! I'm use this song in a list of Christmas songs we feature with its history then YouTube versions. I'll be featuring both this one and Elvis's.