In 1983, she travelled to Toronto to seek a musical career. In 1986, she founded a trio with bassist David Piltch and pianist Aaron Davis. Offered a record deal in 1989, the Holly Cole Trio released an EP, Christmas Blues, that year, which featured a version of The Pretenders' "2,000 Miles". This was followed by their first full album, Girl Talk, in 1990.
A succession of releases followed through the early 1990s. For example, 1991's Blame It On My Youth, covered songs by Tom Waits ("Purple Avenue", aka "Empty Pockets"), Lyle Lovett ("God Will"), includes show tunes such as "If I Were a Bell" (from Guys and Dolls) and "On the Street Where You Live" (from My Fair Lady), and even remakes "Trust In Me", from Disney's The Jungle Book, into a strikingly sultry and sinister song of seduction and death. Also recorded in this period was "Alison", a reinterpretation of Elvis Costello's original.
Following 1993's Don't Smoke in Bed, the trio released a CD entirely of songs by Tom Waits, called Temptation. With this 1995 release, the "Trio" was dropped from the group's name.
Cole next went into a two-album flirtation with pop music, perhaps keeping with the "diva" fad of the late 90s. These albums, Dark Dear Heart (1997) and Romantically Helpless (2000) veered further from jazz by introducing pop elements to Cole's sound.
In 2001, she returned to the Christmas jazz roots of her first CD with Baby It's Cold Outside, which included such should-be classics as "Christmas Time is Here" (from A Charlie Brown Christmas), "Santa Baby", and the title track. Swapping cold for hot, she moved to a Summer theme in 2003's Shade, this time reinterpreting Cole Porter ("Too Darn Hot"), Irving Berlin ("Heatwave"), and The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson ("God Only Knows").
Cole's latest album, Holly Cole (originally entitled This House Is Haunted) was released in Canada in March 2007. It was released in the US in January 2008 and was followed by a US tour.
Cole tours frequently, particularly around the holiday season, in Canada. She was also a part of the 1999 Lilith Fair tour.
If We Make It Through December
Holly Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everythings gonna be all right I know
It's the coldest time of winter
And I shivver when I see the fallin snow
If we make it through December
I got plans of bein in a warmer town come summer time
Maybe even California
I got laid off down at the factory
And there time is not the greatest in the world
Heaven knows Ive been workin' hard
I wanted Christmas to be right for daddy's girl
Now I don't mean to hate December
It's meant to be the a happy time of year
Oh my little girl she won't understand
Why daddy can't afford no Christmas tree
If we make it through December
Everythings gonna be alright I know
It's the coldest time of winter
And I shivver when I see the fallin' snow
Now I don't mean to hate December
It's meant to be the a happy time of year
But my little girl she won't understand
Why mama can't afford no Christmas tree
If we make it through December
If we make it through December
Well, if we make it through December
If we make it through December
Holly Cole’s song “If We Make it Through December” tells the story of a father who is struggling to provide a happy Christmas for his daughter after being laid off from work at the factory. He longs for the summer when he hopes to be living in a warmer town, possibly even California. Despite feeling the cold and shivering at the sight of the falling snow, he remains optimistic that everything will be alright if they can just make it through December.
The song paints a picture of the financial struggles that many families face around Christmas time, when expectations are high but money is often tight. The father’s love for his daughter is evident in the lyrics, as he desperately wants everything to be perfect for her. However, he increasingly realizes that he may not be able to afford a Christmas tree, which is a heartbreaking realization for him. The song is ultimately a bittersweet reminder that love and family are what matter most during the holiday season, and that sometimes the most meaningful gifts cannot be bought with money.
Overall, “If We Make it Through December” is a poignant and emotional song that speaks to the struggles faced by working-class families during the holiday season. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope and love can persevere.
Line by Line Meaning
If we make it through December
Surviving December is all that matters right now
Everythings gonna be all right I know
I am hopeful that things will turn out okay
It's the coldest time of winter
December marks the peak of winter, and it's freezing
And I shivver when I see the fallin snow
I get the shivers when I'm out in the snow
I got plans of bein in a warmer town come summer time
I'm hoping to move to a warmer city in the summer
Maybe even California
California is a possible destination for me
If we make it through December we'll be fine
We just have to survive December, and everything will be okay
I got laid off down at the factory
I lost my job at the factory
And there time is not the greatest in the world
Times are tough and opportunities are limited
Heaven knows Ive been workin' hard
I've been working hard to make ends meet
I wanted Christmas to be right for daddy's girl
I wanted to make sure that my daughter had a good Christmas
Now I don't mean to hate December
I don't actually hate December, but it's a tough month for us
It's meant to be the a happy time of year
December is typically a festive and joyous time
Oh my little girl she won't understand
My daughter won't be able to understand why we can't do more
Why daddy can't afford no Christmas tree
I can't even afford a Christmas tree for her
Now I don't mean to hate December
I don't actually hate December, but it's a tough month for us
But my little girl she won't understand
My daughter won't be able to understand our financial struggles
Why mama can't afford no Christmas tree
My wife and I can't afford a Christmas tree for her
If we make it through December
Surviving December is all that matters right now
Everythings gonna be alright I know
I am hopeful that things will turn out okay
It's the coldest time of winter
December marks the peak of winter, and it's freezing
And I shivver when I see the fallin' snow
I get the shivers when I'm out in the snow
If we make it through December
Surviving December is all that matters right now
If we make it through December
Surviving December is all that matters right now
Well, if we make it through December
If we can manage to get through this tough month
If we make it through December
Surviving December is all that matters right now
Writer(s): MERLE HAGGARD
Contributed by Lincoln Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
displacedchzhead
If you're gonna cover a song, it might as well be a classic by Mighty Merle!! Love it.
Wilfried Mathias
Absolutely amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing!
psychickitty1
I love this version as well as Merle's😊
Mark McIntyre
great lyrics and great performance.
brent MCARTHUR
Great song
ROMAN TOMASZEWSKI
Fajne.
Kenamundo TV
Nice
高島章洋
Cool
高島章洋
Oh cool
jehovahuponyou
IF YOU ARE GONNA COVER A CLASSIC, PAY IT AND YOUR AUDIENCE A LOT MORE RESPECT!