(no subject)

[pensnest]

I can't be bothered with a proper poll, so I will simply ask: is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

a) a happy song
b) a sad song

If you answered a), You Are Wrong. In evidence, I present this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreWsnhQwzY

I love the song, and we sing a very beautiful arrangement of it, but even though our version is somewhat happied-up, the music contradicts the cheerfulness of the words. It is not a happy song! The final chord is not a grand, major resolution! It could, reasonably, be argued that it is a hopeful song, but happy? No.

My MD likes to end our Christmas concerts with this song. We had a singout this evening, a regular annual thing that kicks off our round of Christmas concerts, and we ended it with HYMLC, and that just reminds me that, much as I like singing it, it isn't a song to end a concert with. Joy to the World would be a properly glorious finale.

Oh, well. Not my call.

Comments

[copracat]

It is the most heartbreaking of all the Christmas songs.

[pensnest]

Well, the Coventry Carol is pretty grim, but yeah.

[dine]

I agree, it is not a happy song. the music is melancholy, and while the lyrics are hoping for things to improve, they seem to indicate maybe they're not so great just now

[pensnest]

Indeed. It's a quaveringly hopeful song, I suppose. In context, definitely - but even with no context, the music keeps it melancholy.

[conuly]

It's neither. It's bittersweet.

[pensnest]

Hmmmmm. I wouldn't call it bittersweet, which to me (and I may be alone in this, I admit) means happiness remembered from a place of less-than-happiness. This is, like, sweetbitter, happiness anticipated from a place of less-than-happiness. Is there a word for that?

[turps]

I'm going for sad, especially after watching your link.

[pensnest]

Judy Garland, as a singer, could bring tears to your eyes anyway, but with that song...!

[turlough]

It's not a song I've listened to a lot but I seem to remember it being from either a movie or a play and that the scene where it's performed is definitely not a happy one. I completely agree that Joy to the World would be a much better song to end with. It's gloriously triumphant!

[pensnest]

It's from Meet Me In St Louis, a film musical from 1944 (I spose it might have been written earlier for something else, though), and Judy's character is singing it to her little sister. After which the kid runs outside and smashes all the snowpeople.

[brandywine28]

How is that even a question? Sad! The Judy association ALONE is enough to categorize it as sad!

[pensnest]

Well, indeed!

I've just realised I need a Judy Garland icon.

[sperrywink]

I love your certainty. Ahahaha! I'd never thought about it before.

[pensnest]

Heh. Last year, or possibly the year before, I was MC at the same singout (we sing there every year), and I believe the song was in the middle of the programme. I introduced it with something along the lines of how Christmas isn't happy for everyone - perhaps you've lost somebody, or can't be with the people you care about, etc, and dedicated it to people who aren't having the best of times. There was some surprised discussion afterwards about it not being seen as a happy song - which I don't understand, because the music says so!. I mean, how many happy songs are set in a minor key?

Eh.

[bossymarmalade]

This movie was on tv this weekend and while Judy was singing (the little lip quivers! those big soulful eyes!) my dad out of nowhere was like WHY IS THIS SO SAD. So yes, I agree with your assessment. XD

[pensnest]

This scene is most definitely a tearjerker!

[vae]

If I was going to pick one word to describe it, it would be "wistful" - it's definitely not a happy song, by any means!

It's possibly the closest that a song can come to hiraeth.

[pensnest]

Yes, I think that's it.

[watervole]

Joy to the World would definitely be a more happy note to end on.