LIVE from the “EXULTATE JUBILATE – A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION TOUR”: December 2012

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.

Songwriting Collaboration Controversy

Although Ralph Blane is credited with writing the music for many of Martin’s songs, Martin claimed in his autobiography that he wrote both music and lyrics to all of the songs in Meet Me In St. Louis and that “all of the so-called Martin and Blane songs, (except for Best Foot Forward), were written entirely by me (solo) without help from Ralph or anybody else.”  His explanation for allowing Blane equal credit for the songs was: “I was reasonably content to let him receive equal screen credit, sheet music credit, ASCAP royalties, etc., mainly because this bizarre situation was caused by my naive and atrocious lack of business acumen.”

Meet Me in St. Louis

The song was written while Martin was vacationing in a family home house in the neighborhood of Southside in Birmingham, Alabama,The song first appeared in a scene in Meet Me in St. Louis, in which a family is distraught by the father’s plans to move to New York City for a job promotion, leaving behind their beloved home in St. Louis, Missouri, just before the long-anticipated 1904 World’s Fair begins. In a scene set on Christmas Eve, Judy Garland’s character, Esther, sings the song to cheer up her despondent five-year-old sister, Tootie, played by Margaret O’Brien.

 

Here is a Chord Chart with Lyrics to “Have Yourselves a Merry Little Christmas

G        Em     Am           D7
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
G        Em       Am    D7
Let your heart be light 
G        Em      Am               D7     B7   E7  A7  D7
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight

G        Em     Am           D7
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
G        Em       Am  D7
Make the Yuletide gay
G        Em      Am               B7    Em         G
From now on, our troubles will be miles away 

C                   Bm
Here were are as in olden days
      Am         D7  Gmaj7
happy golden days of yore
Em       F#7              Bm
Faithful friends who are dear to us
       D         Em      Am  D7
gather near to us  once more

G           Em       Am          D7
Through the years we all will be together
G      Em      Am  D7
If the Fates allow
G      Em      Am            D7      Em
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
    C               Am           D7        G
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

You can also BUY the Sheet Music for "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" HERE (Sample Below)

Louise Howlett & Albert Combrink: Franschhoek NG Kerk