pensnest | (no subject)

Crossposts: https://pensnest.livejournal.com/593395.html

(no subject)

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.

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It is the most heartbreaking of all the Christmas songs.

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

It's neither. It's bittersweet.

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

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!

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

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

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

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.

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

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