Hugh Martin Jr. dies at 96; 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' songwriter
Matthew Kruk
Hugh Martin Jr. dies at 96; 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'
songwriter
The composer, lyricist and arranger also created 'The Boy Next Door' and
'The Trolley Song.' All three were sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM
musical 'Meet Me in St. Louis.' Martin shared credits with Ralph Blane.
By Claire Noland, Los Angeles Times
March 13, 2011
Hugh Martin Jr., a composer, lyricist and arranger who created the
enduring standards "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The
Trolley Song" sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical "Meet Me in
St. Louis," has died. He was 96.
Martin, who collaborated in an unusual partnership with Ralph Blane on
Broadway and in film, died of natural causes Friday at home in
Encinitas, north of San Diego, said his niece Suzanne Hanners.
The two men shared songwriting credits for "Meet Me in St. Louis," which
is set at the turn of the 20th century and follows a Midwestern family
on the verge of moving to New York City. Garland lit up the screen with
her renditions of "The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song" (which was
nominated for an Academy Award for best original song) and "Have
Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
But the melancholy Christmas lyrics Garland sang in the film were not
the ones Martin originally wrote. His first lines were even darker.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last," went the
original. "Next year we may all be living in the past," followed by
"Faithful friends who were dear to us, will be near to us no more."
A studio executive suggested lightening the lyrics, saying, "It's OK for
it to be bittersweet and nostalgic, but it shouldn't be a dirge."
So Martin went back to work, revising the lines:
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light; next
year all our troubles will be out of sight."
Released during World War II, the film and its signature songs struck a
chord with moviegoers.
"The audience comes to care deeply about these people and their story,"
Miles Kreuger, president of the Los Angeles-based Institute of the
American Musical, said in an interview Saturday. "The score very subtly
and successfully captures the essence of what these characters are
thinking and feeling, so the audience is immediately drawn to the
integrity of the songs....
"Now years later ['Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'] still is so
emotionally sensitive and so valid that people are deeply moved by it.
It's a masterpiece."
Then, in 1957, Frank Sinatra was making recordings for a holiday album
to be called "A Jolly Christmas" and asked Martin to "jolly up" his
song.
So to substitute for "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow,"
he came up with "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough."
Sinatra's version helped lift "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
into the ranks of cherished holidays classics. It has since been
recorded by hundreds of performers, including Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett,
Diana Krall, James Taylor and the Pretenders.
Although Martin and Blane shared writing credits in the 1940s, they
worked independently.
"Ralph and I both wrote music, and we both wrote lyrics," Martin once
explained. "Almost always, each of us wrote songs unassisted by the
other and simply pooled our work."
In his 2010 autobiography, "Hugh Martin, The Boy Next Door," he
maintained that he wrote the songs for "Meet Me in St. Louis" on his
own.
For another of Garland's signature films, 1954's "A Star Is Born,"
Martin served as vocal director and arranger. He also accompanied
Garland on piano during her solo show at New York's Palace Theatre in
1951.
Martin and Blane met in the late 1930s as performers singing in Broadway
musicals. Martin was making a name for himself as a vocal arranger for
Broadway shows when the duo got the chance to write words and music for
"Best Foot Forward" in 1941.
That brought them to the attention of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, which signed
them to write for the movies. After finishing "Meet Me in St. Louis,"
Martin served in the Army, performing for troops in Europe.
He returned to Hollywood after the war and received another Oscar
nomination along with Blane and Roger Edens for the song "Pass That
Peace Pipe" from 1947's "Good News."
Martin continued to write and arrange for both film and stage
productions, including the Tony-nominated "High Spirits" (1964).
He and Blane teamed up again for a 1989 Broadway revival of "Meet Me in
St. Louis," writing several new songs. Blane died in 1995.
Martin was born Aug. 11, 1914, in Birmingham, Ala., and learned to play
piano at age 5. He attended Birmingham Southern College before moving to
New York.
He never married and retired to Encinitas in the 1970s.
Martin is survived by his brother, Gordon, of Birmingham; as well as
nieces and nephews, and his longtime manager and caretaker, Elaine
Harrison of Encinitas.
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
Brad Ferguson
Kruk <nob...@home.com> wrote:
> But the melancholy Christmas lyrics Garland sang in the film were not
> the ones Martin originally wrote. His first lines were even darker.
>
> "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last," went the
> original. "Next year we may all be living in the past," followed by
> "Faithful friends who were dear to us, will be near to us no more."
>
> A studio executive suggested lightening the lyrics, saying, "It's OK for
> it to be bittersweet and nostalgic, but it shouldn't be a dirge."
>
> So Martin went back to work, revising the lines:
>
> "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light; next
> year all our troubles will be out of sight."
From what I've read, Hugh Martin strongly resisted changing the lyrics.
The dispute went on for weeks. Actor Tom Drake, a member of the cast
and a friend of Martin's, was the one who finally talked him into it.
The full, original lyrics (and somebody -- maybe Stephen King and his
band -- should record this version):
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
But at least we all will be together
If the Lord allows
From now on, wešll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now