Written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane in 1944 for the MGM musical Meet Me In Saint Louis.
In the movie, a family is leaving the town they love; so Judy Garland sings the song to raise the spirits of her despondent younger sister played by Margaret O’Brien.
A first version was rejected by Judy Garland for being too depressing; for example, the original chorus written by Blane included: “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.”
Frank Sinatra included the song on his 1957 A Jolly Christmas album, but he asked Martin to change the lyric “Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow” because it wasn’t jolly. Martin rewrote the lyric to read “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.”
In 2001, Martin, a born-again Christian, released Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas changing the lyrics from secular to religious sentiments.
When he finished composing, Berlin yelled to his secretary, “I just wrote the best song I’ve ever written–heck I just wrote the best song that anyone’s ever written.”
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time with more than 50 million copies sold worldwide.
National Public Radio included it in its NPR 100, a list of the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
Crosby’s version holds the distinction of being ranked #2 on the Songs of the Century, behind Judy Garland’s Over the Rainbow, as voted by members of the RIAA.
Featured Artist: Bob Marley & The Wailers
Recored in 1965 and released as a single.
It was included in a posthumous compilation, Destiny: Rare Ska Sides from Studio 1.
The background vocals owe a great debt to the version done by The Drifters in 1954, who owe a debt to the version recorded by The Ravens in 1948.
The music is more a dirge than the rock-steady, ska, or reggae that would come years later.
Christmas Song Fun Facts 