Why "We Wish You A Merry Little Christmas"

On this episode of Christmas Merry and Bright, Raymond Arroyo, an award-winning broadcaster, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed vocalist, unveils the hidden backstory of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." The original meanings of these songs were... not so "merry."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Raymond Arroyo and this is a very special presentation
Christmas Merry and bright play backstories were revealing the origins
the backstories of some of the most beloved Christmas songs
of all time. Now carollers would sing this next song,
we Wish you a Merry Christmas in sixteenth century England.

(00:20):
Then Oliver Cromwell banned all Christmas carols throughout the country
between sixteen forty seven and sixteen sixty, but the churchgoers
desperately tried to save the traditional songs, so they went
door to door performing them well into the Victorian error,
thus caroling. The initial line we wish you a Merry

(00:44):
Christmas was predominantly used as a greeting, but the song
really captures the relationship between wealthy homeowners and the needy carollers,
demanding food and goodies for their song. By the way,
figgie pudding was a traditional Christmas dessert made with figs.
The legend goes that the poor carollers refused to leave

(01:05):
the doorsteps of the rich until there were delivered rewards edibles.
I prefer other delicacies, which I've worked into my version.
It's such a venerable old tune that it makes me
think of some of my favorite Christmas voices of the season.
So when I was putting together my album Christmas Marry
and Bright, my new album, I thought, wouldn't it be

(01:27):
fun to tribute those great voices with this song. So
Kevin Coska, my arranger, agreed another perennial of Christmas. A
modern classic. You know, this song was literally rescued from
the trash In nineteen forty four. Songwriter Hugh Martin was
playing with a little melody and he really didn't like it,

(01:49):
so he played with it for two or three days,
and then he threw it in the waste paper basket.
His songwriting partner Ralph Blaine told NPR in nineteen eighty nine.
Blaine made Martin rescue and it became the melody for
have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Martin was writing the
song for the film Meet Me in Saint Louis. The

(02:09):
song was written for Judy Garland's character, and Martin and
Blaine were told to write more upbeat lyrics. The film
producer said, it was a sad scene, and we want
to sort of upbeat song that'll make it even sad,
or if she's smiling through her tears. Martin said in
an interview. They wrote, have yourself a merry little Christmas.
It may be your last. Next year, we may all

(02:32):
be living in the past. That was the original lyric,
but real uplifter Judy Garland refused to sing it, According
to Martin, she said, if I sing that, little Margaret
will cry and they'll think I'm a monster. The lyrics
were adjusted to the version we all know so well.
The original lyrics to have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
were a touch more grim. They read, no good times

(02:54):
like the olden days, happy golden days of your faithful
friends who were dear to us. We'll be near to
us no more, but at least we all will be
together if the Lord allows. I guess the new version
is slightly more uplifting.