We are heading into the Christmas movie season and I am looking forward to seeing a lot of classic films including Meet Me in St. Louis. Not always considered a Christmas film, it ranks among the most important for having given us the song, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. The song was written for the film by a studio song writer named Hugh Martin. If you have never seen the song performed by Judy Garland in it's proper setting you need to do so this year.
I have a couple of notes about the song. First, in the movie Garland sings, some day soon, we all will be together if the fates allow, until then we'll have to muddle through somehow. A decade later Frank Sinatra asked Martin for permission to record the song but wanted him to lighten it up and make it "more jolly". Martin changed the last line above to, "hang a shining star upon the highest bough." You may think that's quite a change, but that's nothing compared to the change made for Judy Garland in the film. When you watch Garland's character sing the song to 7 year old O'Brien this year, try on the original lyrics as written by Hugh Martin.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last, next year we may all be living in the past
Have Yourelf A Merry Little Christmas, Judy Garland
great!!!
Posted by: t & c | 01 December 2007 at 04:29 PM