“Clang, clang, clang went the trolley”
March 17, 2011
HUGH MARTIN
In the midst of the tragedies playing out in Japan and Libya and Bahrain, song writer Hugh Martin — an important figure in American musical history — slipped away last Thursday at the age of 96.
Martin wrote a lot of fine music for the Broadway stage and for films, but he etched his name in brass when he composed “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Trolley Song,” and “The Boy Next Door” — all classics and all written for Judy Garland in the film “Meet Me in St Louis.”
The first of those songs set Martin apart in special way, because it is relatively rare for a writer to produce a song that becomes a Christmas standard. That one became not only a standard but one of the most recorded and most popular Christmas songs of all time.
JUDY GARLAND
The song has an interesting history which is available in Martin’s own words at THIS LINK. This is the short version. Martin’s perennial songwriting partner, Ralph Blane, asked about a tune he had overheard Martin fooling around with, but Martin said he had given up on it. Blane had liked the melody and asked Martin to try it again. Martin wound up writing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Judy Garland’s character sang this song to her little sister (Margaret O’Brien) who was distraught because their father was moving the family from its homestead in Missouri to New York City.
In that context, the combination of Martin’s melancholy melody and his lyrics was heart-wrenching. So much so, that Judy Garland and others objected that it was too sad. Martin at first refused to change it, but actor Tom Drake talked him into it.
HUGH MARTIN
For instance, the song originally began: Have yourself a merry little Christmas. It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past. Martin changed that to Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light / Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.
That was in 1944. In 1957, at the request of Frank Sinatra, Martin changed the song again. The original lyric read, But at least we all will be together, if the Fates allow / From now on we’ll have to muddle through somehow. Sinatra found that a little downbeat for a Christmas album he was recording, and Martin accommodated him with, Hang a shining star upon the highest bough,” which is the way it is usually performed now.
No matter, in all of its versions it’s a wonderful song from a wonderful talent.
Margaret O'Brien and Judy Garland in "Meet Me in St. Louis"
CharlesPaolino's Blog 
March 17, 2011 at 3:43 am
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is a wonderful song in all its versions, but I do like the final version best. “Muddling through somehow” is for the rest of the year. Shining stars are for Christmas.
I enjoyed reading the fuller story of the song’s development. I was especially taken by this little bit of stubbornness: “If she wants the melody, she has to take the lyric…” What a great anecdote.
Of course we lost another great last week, on Saturday, when Joe Morello died. I still remember the first time I heard his solo in Brubeck’s “Take Five” and realized a drummer could do things outside a marching band.
March 17, 2011 at 6:29 pm
I know what you mean. Many years ago, I went to a Louis Armstrong concert at Seton Hall. There was a young Puerto Rican man playing drums; I don’t know his name. When Armstrong and the rest of the band took a break — which they did in the middle of a song — the drummer stayed on stage and played for the whole time, probably 15 minutes. It was remarkable how what seems like a monotonal instrument could hold everyone’s attention for all that time.