“Meet Me in St. Louis” is a frothy musical with a fairly forgettable plot revolving around the drama of a family in 1904 who may be uprooted and moved from St. Louis to New York and the teenaged daughter by golly doesn’t want to move to New York. And then they don’t. End of story.
But teenage angst is always a good basis for drama because it feels like the world is coming to an end. Out of this moodiness comes one of the best Christmas songs of the century, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” As Esther (played by Judy Garland in the movie version) deals with what she perceives as her last Christmas in St. Louis, she sings this melancholy verse…
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
It may be your last
Next year we may all be living in the past
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Pop that champagne cork
Next year we may all be living in New York
No good times like the olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who were dear to us
Will be near to us no more
Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allows
Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
At least those were the lyrics penned by Ralph Blane. Do you remember it differently? That’s because most performers thought they’re too dark for Christmas and so they changed them. They even tweaked the lyrics before shooting the film.
One of the most notable changes over the ages was changing the penultimate verse…
Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow
into…
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
I loathe this substitution and have been known to click off the radio in anger if I hear this version of the song. Because, frankly, I think the original verse really speaks to the reality of Christmas: We muddle through.
There’s so much pressure on us to have a “merry little Christmas” with everything just right. Just like Esther we struggle with the weight of Christmases past, the burden of expectations, carrying the memories of loved ones who are no longer with us, fear of the future. We should get a merit badge for muddling through.
And then I think of the first Christmas. Mary and Joseph on a long journey they didn’t plan to take, trying to find somewhere to stay, bringing a child into the world in less than ideal conditions. I can imagine Mary and Esther commiserating in their mutual teenaged angst wondering “Why am I here? Why am I not with family? What does the future hold? Why is everything changing?”
In that moment Mary doesn’t need a bauble on a branch, she needs to muddle through.
So, this Christmas, if you feel like you are just muddling through and making the best of things in turbulent times, consider yourself in good company with me and Esther and Mary.
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Lawrence
But teenage angst is always a good basis for drama because it feels like the world is coming to an end. Out of this moodiness comes one of the best Christmas songs of the century, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” As Esther (played by Judy Garland in the movie version) deals with what she perceives as her last Christmas in St. Louis, she sings this melancholy verse…
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
It may be your last
Next year we may all be living in the past
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Pop that champagne cork
Next year we may all be living in New York
No good times like the olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who were dear to us
Will be near to us no more
Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allows
Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
At least those were the lyrics penned by Ralph Blane. Do you remember it differently? That’s because most performers thought they’re too dark for Christmas and so they changed them. They even tweaked the lyrics before shooting the film.
One of the most notable changes over the ages was changing the penultimate verse…
Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow
into…
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
I loathe this substitution and have been known to click off the radio in anger if I hear this version of the song. Because, frankly, I think the original verse really speaks to the reality of Christmas: We muddle through.
There’s so much pressure on us to have a “merry little Christmas” with everything just right. Just like Esther we struggle with the weight of Christmases past, the burden of expectations, carrying the memories of loved ones who are no longer with us, fear of the future. We should get a merit badge for muddling through.
And then I think of the first Christmas. Mary and Joseph on a long journey they didn’t plan to take, trying to find somewhere to stay, bringing a child into the world in less than ideal conditions. I can imagine Mary and Esther commiserating in their mutual teenaged angst wondering “Why am I here? Why am I not with family? What does the future hold? Why is everything changing?”
In that moment Mary doesn’t need a bauble on a branch, she needs to muddle through.
So, this Christmas, if you feel like you are just muddling through and making the best of things in turbulent times, consider yourself in good company with me and Esther and Mary.
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Lawrence
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