Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American rock singer-songwr… Read Full Bio ↴Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1988 and become an underground hit. The album peaked at #22 on the Billboard 200, and its lead single, Bring Me Some Water, garnered Etheridge her first Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In 1993, Etheridge won her first Grammy award for her single, Ain't It Heavy, from her 3rd album Never Enough. Later that year, she released what would become her breakthrough album, Yes I Am. The album featured the mainstream rock hits I'm the Only One (#8) and Come to My Window (#25), the latter which scored Etheridge her second Grammy award. Yes I Am peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200, and spent 138 weeks on the chart, earning a RIAA certification of 6x Platinum, her largest to date.
In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she made a return to the stage and, although bald from chemotherapy, performed a tribute to Janis Joplin with the song "Piece of My Heart". Etheridge's performance was widely lauded, with India.Arie writing "I Am Not My Hair" about Etheridge. Later that year, Etheridge released her first compilation album, Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled. The album was a huge success, peaking at #14 on the Billboard 200, and going Gold immediately. Her latest release is 4th Street Feeling.
Etheridge is known for her mixture of "confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals." She has also been an iconic gay and lesbian activist since her public coming out in January 1993.

Christmas
Melissa Etheridge Lyrics

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I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue 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, those blue memories start calling, yeah
Oh, you'll be doing alright with your pretty, pretty Christmas in white

But I'm, I'm gonna have a blue, a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas
Hey yeah!

Oh, you will be doing alright, doing alright in your Christmas of white
But I'll, I'll have a blue, a blue Christmas

Overall Meaning

Melissa Etheridge's song Blue Christmas is a poignant expression of heartbreak during the holiday season. The lyrics evoke a sad and lonely feeling as the singer laments the absence of a loved one. The opening line, "I'll have a blue Christmas without you," sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The phrase "blue Christmas" is a play on words, as blue can refer to both the color of sadness and the genre of music that the song belongs to.

The second line emphasizes the depth of the singer's feelings, as she says she'll be "so blue thinking about you." The image of red decorations on a green tree without the loved one there to appreciate them is a profound metaphor for the loneliness and emptiness the singer feels. As the snowflakes fall, the mood only gets worse as memories of past Christmases flood the singer's mind. The contrast between the singer's blue Christmas and the presumed happiness of the loved one with their "pretty, pretty Christmas in white" is a harsh reminder of what has been lost.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I will feel sad during Christmas time without you.

I'll be so blue thinking about you
I will constantly think about you and feel sad.

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
The typical Christmas decorations that I see around me will not bring me joy anymore.

Won't be the same dear if you're not here with me
Christmas won't be as enjoyable if you are not here.

And when those blue snowflakes start falling
When it starts snowing, I will feel even more blue.

That's when those blue, those blue memories start calling, yeah
Memories of us together during Christmas will come back to me strongly.

Oh, you'll be doing alright with your pretty, pretty Christmas in white
You'll be fine and happy, having a beautiful white Christmas.

But I'm, I'm gonna have a blue, a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas
But I will have a very sad and blue Christmas.

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

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