Trini Lopez (born Trinidad López III in Dallas, TX, on 15 May 1937; died 11… Read Full Bio ↴Trini Lopez (born Trinidad López III in Dallas, TX, on 15 May 1937; died 11 August 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and actor. His first album included his version of "If I Had a Hammer", which earned a Golden Disc for him. Other hits included "Lemon Tree", "I'm Comin' Home, Cindy" and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl". He designed two guitars for the Gibson Guitar Corporation, which are now collectors’ items.

Lopez made his name on the club circuit of the Southwestern United States before being 'discovered' in 1962 playing at the club PJ's in Hollywood, California, by record producer Don Costa. Costa was taken with Lopez's latinized versions of contemporary hits and signed him up to Frank Sinatra's record label, Reprise Records. His debut album, Trini Lopez Live at PJ's, was released in 1963. The album included a version of If I Had a Hammer, which reached number one in 36 countries (No. 3 in the United States) and was a radio favorite for many years. He also performed his own version of the traditional Mexican song La Bamba on the album; his recording of the tune was later re-issued as a single in 1966.

His popularity led the Gibson Guitar Corporation to ask him in 1964 to design a guitar for them. He ended up designing two: The Trini Lopez Standard, a rock and roll model based on the Gibson ES-335 semi-hollow body, and the Lopez Deluxe, a variation of a Gibson jazz guitar designed by Barney Kessel. Both of these guitars were in production from 1964 until 1971 and are now highly sought after amongst collectors. Some owners of the guitar include Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Noel Gallagher of Oasis.

He scored 13 chart singles through 1968, including "Lemon Tree" (1965), "I'm Comin' Home, Cindy" (1966) and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl" (1968). On the adult contemporary chart, he ranked up 15 hits, including the Top 10 singles "Michael" (1964), "Gonna Get Along Without Ya' Now" (1967) and "The Bramble Bush" (1967). Beyond his success on record, he became one of the country's top nightclub performers of that era, regularly headlining in Las Vegas, Nevada.

During the 1960s and 1970s Lopez moved into acting, though his film career was not as successful as his music. His first film role was in Marriage on the Rocks (1965), in which he made a cameo appearance in a nightclub scene; Lopez's soundtrack song, "Sinner Man", became a hit single (No. 54 pop/No. 12 adult contemporary). He was one of The Dirty Dozen (1967) and starred in Antonio (1973). He made two appearances (playing different characters) on the television program, Adam 12. He continued his musical career with extensive tours of Europe and Latin America during this period; an attempt to break out by releasing a disco album in 1978 proved a flop.

Since then, Lopez has done charitable work and received honors such as being inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2003. He was still recording and appearing live in the early 2000s. Recently he took part in a benefit concert to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Trini Lopez Lyrics

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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

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

Overall Meaning

Trini Lopez's song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is a classic Christmas tune that is all about spreading joy and cheer during the holiday season. The song encourages listeners to let their hearts be light and to forget their troubles for a while because the spirit of Christmas is all about love, family, and friends coming together to celebrate.

The first verse sets the tone for the entire song, as it lays out the basic message and themes of the song. Lopez encourages listeners to have a merry little Christmas, to let their hearts be light, and to forget about their troubles because Christmas is a time to celebrate, to be with loved ones, and to be happy.

The second verse focuses on the importance of family and friends during the Christmas season. Lopez sings about the happy golden days of yore, and how faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more. The lyrics communicate the idea that the holidays are a special time to come together with loved ones, to reminisce about the past, and to create new memories that will last a lifetime.

The final verse encourages listeners to look to the future and to hope that they will be able to spend future Christmases with their loved ones. Lopez sings about a shining star hanging from the highest bough, which symbolizes hope and faith for the future. The song is a beautiful reminder that no matter what troubles we may face in life, the spirit of Christmas is all about coming together, celebrating, and spreading joy and love.

Line by Line Meaning

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Wish yourself a joyful Christmas, no matter how small or modest it may be.

Let your heart be light
Allow yourself to be happy and carefree this holiday season.

From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
Let's forget about our problems and enjoy the moment.

Make the Yuletide gay
Celebrating the season with happiness and merriment.

From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Let's put our worries behind us and enjoy the holiday season, far from troubles.

Here we are as in olden days
We are here like we were in the good old days, filled with joy and nostalgia.

Happy golden days of yore
Let's remember and cherish the happy memories of Christmas past.

Faithful friends who are dear to us
Friends who are loyal and mean a lot to us.

Gather near to us once more
Come together again and celebrate Christmas as a community.

Through the years we all will be together
We will be together every Christmas, even as time passes by.

If the fates allow
If destiny permits us, we will always celebrate Christmas together.

So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
Put a bright symbol of hope on the topmost branch of a Christmas tree.

And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Celebrate the present and have a happy Christmas today.

Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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