He was born in Gretna, Louisiana, as Vincent Francis Guzzo, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, and was the adopted son of Vincent and Anna Guzzo, who named him Vincent Francis Guzzo, Jr. He learned to sing and dance at an early age, and when at high school joined a group, the Syncopators, as singer and pianist. He was spotted by manager Joe Caronna, who took him to Johnny Vincent of Ace Records. Taking the stage name Frankie Ford, he made his first recordings for Ace in 1958. He toured locally in Louisiana, before recording a vocal overdub on the song "Sea Cruise", a song written and originally recorded by Huey "Piano" Smith with his group, the Clowns, and featuring overdubbed bells and ships' horns.. As Smith already had a record in the charts, and was away touring, the record label decided to release Ford's version, and it rose to #14 on the US pop chart and #11 on the R&B chart, selling over one million copies, and gaining gold disc status.
Ford toured widely around the US, but his later records were less successful, with his versions of "Alimony" and "Time After Time" only reaching the lower reaches of the national charts. He also recorded a novelty record in praise of a local TV presenter, "Morgus the Magnificent", with musicians including Mac Rebennack and Jerry Byrne, but it failed to sell. Ace released an LP by Ford, Let's Take A Sea Cruise With Frankie Ford, before the singer moved to Imperial Records in late 1960. He recorded with producer Dave Bartholomew, and released a version of "You Talk Too Much", but Ford's recording missed out in competition with one by Joe Jones which was issued almost simultaneously. In 1961, his version of Boyd Bennett's 1955 hit "Seventeen" was Ford's last chart entry.
Ford was drafted in 1962, and performed for troops in Japan, Vietnam and Korea. He later recorded occasionally for small labels, but mainly performed in clubs in and around New Orleans. He appeared in the 1978 movie American Hot Wax, and toured in Britain and Europe, recording the album New Orleans Dynamo in London in 1984. He continued to record and perform through the 1990s. Ford co-owned the Briarmeade record label, which issued several singles and albums by him from the 1970s to the 2000s. On May 16, 2010, at the Louisiana Music Homecoming in Erwinville, Ford was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Ford died in Gretna at the age of 76 on September 28, 2015, following a long illness.
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Frankie Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
The song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" talks about the joy and hope that Christmas brings into our lives as we come together with friends and family. It encourages us to let go of our troubles and worries and embrace the festive spirit of the season with open hearts. The song uses nostalgic imagery of olden days and happy memories while celebrating the joy of faithful friends and loved ones who gather around us during this special period.
Frankie Ford’s rendition of the song has a classic upbeat jazz feel to it that heightens the festive mood of the song. The lyrics of the song urge us to put our worries and troubles aside and just focus on the joyous spirit of Christmas. The song is an invitation to all to come together and celebrate this occasion with loved ones and create ever-lasting memories.
In summary, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is a song that encourages us to come together and celebrate the joyous and hopeful spirit of Christmas. It reminds us to remember our loved ones, to cherish the memories of olden days, and to appreciate the gift of togetherness that the festive season brings with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Wishing you a happy and joyful Christmas
Let your heart be light
May your heart be free from worries and sorrows
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
Let's forget our troubles and focus on enjoying the holiday season
Make the Yuletide gay
Celebrate Christmas in a cheerful and festive manner
Here we are as in olden days
We are here together just like in the good old days
Happy golden days of yore
Reminiscing about happy memories from the past
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Being surrounded by loyal and beloved friends
Gather near to us once more
Spending time with loved ones who are dear to our hearts
Through the years we all will be together
Looking forward to spending future Christmas holidays together as well
If the fates allow
Hoping that nothing unfortunate will prevent us from being together again in the future
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
Symbolic gesture to mark the specialness of the occasion
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Enjoy the holiday season and make it a memorable one
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sam Pomerantz Publishing
Written by: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind