Thompson's musical style, characterized as Honky Tonk Swing, is a mixture of big-band instrumentation, fiddle and steel guitar that supports his distinctive, gravelly baritone vocals on songs he often writes himself. His backing band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the No.1 Country Western Band for 14 years in a row by Billboard Magazine.
He decided to pursue his musical talent after serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II as a radioman and studying electrical engineering at the university level. His first single was "Whoa Sailor" in 1946. The year 1952 brought his first #1 disc, "The Wild Side of Life", which contained the memorable line "I didn't know God made honky-tonk angels" (which inspired the Kitty Wells response, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"). Other hits followed in quick succession in the 1950s and 1960s. Although not as prominent in later decades, he has remained an active and respected performer in the field, finding new audiences as a result of the resurgence of a harder-edged sound in country music.
Hank Thompson was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997. He was born 3 September 1925 in Waco, Texas, and passed away at home in Keller, Texas, on 6 November 2007, just four days after cancelling his final tour.
Blue Christmas
Hank Thompson Lyrics
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I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the same, dear, if you're not here with me
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when those blue memories start calling
You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white
You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas
The song "Blue Christmas" by Hank Thompson portrays the feeling of loneliness and heartbreak that comes with spending Christmas without the person that you love. The first verse expresses the singer's sadness and how they will be feeling blue without their loved one. The second verse talks about the memories that are triggered by the falling snowflakes and how their loved one will be having a happy "white" Christmas while they are left with a "blue" Christmas.
The third line of the first verse, "Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree", is a powerful metaphor for the way the world seems out of balance when you're missing someone on Christmas. The traditional colors of Christmas decorations are red and green, but when you're experiencing heartbreak, everything seems a little off-kilter. The decorations become a symbol of the emptiness that the singer is feeling without their loved one.
The second verse talks about how the happy Christmas of the loved one contrasts with the sad and lonely Christmas of the singer. The use of the word "blue" several times emphasizes the feeling of sadness and loneliness, and the repetition of "blue" in the last line of the song emphasizes the singer's feelings of despair and emphasizes how the holiday apart feels neverending.
Overall, the song "Blue Christmas" by Hank Thompson is a poignant message of how the holidays can enhance one's feelings of loss and loneliness. It expresses the weight of experiencing Christmas without the one you love and amplifies the feelings of emptiness.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
My Christmas will be sad and lonely without you here with me.
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
The thought of not being with you during the holidays is making me sad and depressed.
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
The traditional decorations of Christmas hold no joy for me without your presence.
Won't be the same, dear, if you're not here with me
The celebration of Christmas will not be the same for me without you by my side.
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
When I see the snow outside, I become even more sad and lonely without you.
That's when those blue memories start calling
Memories of our past Christmases together start to haunt me, reminding me of what I am missing.
You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white
You may be enjoying the snow and festivities where you are, but I am not without you.
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas
I will have a very sad and lonely Christmas without you here with me.
Lyrics © DEMI MUSIC CORP. D/B/A LICHELLE MUSIC COMPANY, EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HUGH MARTIN, RALPH BLANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind