Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"The Christmas Song" (commonly subtitled "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or, as it was originally subtitled, "Merry Christmas to You") is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé.
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. She was certified as the most awarded female artist of all time by Guinness World Records and is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston released seven studio albums and two soundtrack albums, all of which have been certified diamond, multi-platinum, platinum, or gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She is regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. Her crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on MTV influenced several African-American female artists.
Houston began singing in church as a child and became a background vocalist while in high school. With the guidance of Arista Records chairman Clive Davis, she signed to the label at age 19. Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), both peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and are among the best-selling albums of all time. She is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, from "Saving All My Love for You" in 1985 to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988.
Houston's third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), yielded two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles; "I'm Your Baby Tonight", and "All the Man That I Need" and was certified quintuple platinum by RIAA. Houston made her acting debut with the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard (1992). She recorded six songs for the film's soundtrack, including "I Will Always Love You", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became the best-selling physical single by a female in music history. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time. Houston starred and recorded soundtracks for two other high-profile films, Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996), with the latter's soundtrack being the best-selling gospel album of all time.
Following the critical and commercial success of My Love Is Your Love (1998), Houston renewed her contract with Arista for $100 million. However, her personal struggles began overshadowing her career, and the album Just Whitney (2002) received mixed reviews. Her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown received widespread media coverage. After a six-year break from recording, Houston returned to the top of the Billboard 200 chart with her final studio album, I Look to You (2009). On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight, my Lord
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas right now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, have yourself a merry Christmas now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Ooh, here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough, ooh, oh
And have yourself, let your heart be light, ooh
Have yourself, put your troubles out of sight, ooh
Just have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Have yourself a merry Christmas, a merry merry Christmas
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, merry, merry, merry, merry, merry, merry, ooh
Have yourself a merry Christmas, merry little Christmas
Have your self, have yourself, a merry little Christmas
Have your self, have yourself, a merry Christmas now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
"The Christmas Song" (commonly subtitled "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or, as it was originally subtitled, "Merry Christmas to You") is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé.
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. She was certified as the most awarded female artist of all time by Guinness World Records and is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston released seven studio albums and two soundtrack albums, all of which have been certified diamond, multi-platinum, platinum, or gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She is regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. Her crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on MTV influenced several African-American female artists.
Houston began singing in church as a child and became a background vocalist while in high school. With the guidance of Arista Records chairman Clive Davis, she signed to the label at age 19. Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), both peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and are among the best-selling albums of all time. She is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, from "Saving All My Love for You" in 1985 to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988.
Houston's third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), yielded two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles; "I'm Your Baby Tonight", and "All the Man That I Need" and was certified quintuple platinum by RIAA. Houston made her acting debut with the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard (1992). She recorded six songs for the film's soundtrack, including "I Will Always Love You", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became the best-selling physical single by a female in music history. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time. Houston starred and recorded soundtracks for two other high-profile films, Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996), with the latter's soundtrack being the best-selling gospel album of all time.
Following the critical and commercial success of My Love Is Your Love (1998), Houston renewed her contract with Arista for $100 million. However, her personal struggles began overshadowing her career, and the album Just Whitney (2002) received mixed reviews. Her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown received widespread media coverage. After a six-year break from recording, Houston returned to the top of the Billboard 200 chart with her final studio album, I Look to You (2009). On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight, my Lord
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas right now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, have yourself a merry Christmas now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Ooh, here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough, ooh, oh
And have yourself, let your heart be light, ooh
Have yourself, put your troubles out of sight, ooh
Just have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Have yourself a merry Christmas, a merry merry Christmas
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, merry, merry, merry, merry, merry, merry, ooh
Have yourself a merry Christmas, merry little Christmas
Have your self, have yourself, a merry little Christmas
Have your self, have yourself, a merry Christmas now
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
![Solomon Burke - Presents For Christmas (Atlantic Records 1967)
Presents For Christmas is a song written by Solomon Burke.
Solomon Burke (March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American recording artist and vocalist, who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s and a key transitional figure in the development of soul music from rhythm and blues. He had a string of hits including Cry to Me, If You Need Me, Got to Get You Off My Mind, Down in the Valley and Everybody Needs Somebody to Love. Burke was referred to as King Solomon, the King of Rock n Soul, Bishop of Soul and the Muhammad Ali of soul. Due to his minimal chart success in comparison to other soul music greats such as James Brown, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding, Burke has been described as the genres most unfairly overlooked singer of its golden age. Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler referred to Burke as the greatest male soul singer of all time.
Burkes most famous recordings, which spanned five years in the early 1960s, bridged the gap between mainstream R&B and grittier R&B.[9] Burke was a singer whose smooth, powerful articulation and mingling of sacred and profane themes helped define soul music in the early 1960s. He drew from his roots – gospel, jazz, country and blues – as well as developing his own style at a time when R&B, and rock were both still in their infancy. Described as both Rabelaisian and also as a spiritual enigma, perhaps more than any other artist, the ample figure of Solomon Burke symbolized the ways that spirituality and commerce, ecstasy and entertainment, sex and salvation, individualism and brotherhood, could blend in the world of 1960s soul music.
During the 55 years that he performed professionally, Burke released 38 studio albums on at least 17 record labels and had 35 singles that charted in the US, including 26 singles that made the Billboard R&B charts. In 2001, Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a performer. His album Dont Give Up on Me won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 45th Grammy Awards in 2003. By 2005 Burke was credited with selling 17 million albums. Rolling Stone ranked Burke as no. 89 on its 2008 list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Oh this is gonna be a groove for me
Its gonna be a little something different
But were gonna give it to them anyway
Are you ready? Come on... ha!
We want to give out a present to everyone this Christmas
All around the world for every man, woman, boy and girl
Are you ready right now, come on here we go
Aaa I like it like that, come on thats it
Alright come on
Christmas present around the world
Is something mighty sweet to see
If only I just had a present for everyone
Under one great big Christmas tree
For ever boy that wants a brand new toy
For every Johnny that wants a car
For every junior that wants a mobile bike
Rides and a rides and rides
Now my little daughter
She wants a doll that cries
One that walks and wipes its eyes
And I see there someone
That wants somebody home
Just to mere have in their arms
What a Christmas present mmm this Christmas
Oh what a gift you could be
You know if I could just give out
Christmas presents to every one
Under one great big Christmas tree
You know Im even fat enough to be
To be the worlds biggest Santa Claus
And everybody could just
Just stand around and just say
Ooh is that one for me?
Ha, Come on
A Christmas present for everybody this year
And we want to give it to them are you ready?
Come on everybody, come on one more time together
Merry Christmas baby
Present for you Christmas directly from me
For all the disc jokeys around the world Merry Christmas
All the policeman and all the pretty girls ha!
Oh la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la ha ha!
Thats for my old friend yall (Sam Cooke) and all the soul friends
Christmas brothers baby, here we go
Come on let me hear you, come on
Alright now listen to me
Somewhere in this big wide world
Theres some little girl and boy
Whos wishing for a great big Christmas
Maybe one, two, or three toys
But sadly enough believe me as it seems
They wont get these things we know
But the best thing that we can do
Is wish a Merry Christmas to you
And hope next year
Things will have a lot of joy
Christmas presents to every one
Ha ha ooh what a gift it could be
If I could just have a great big Christmas tree
Ha, spread it all around the world Solomon Burke - Presents For Christmas (Atlantic Records 1967)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZYPIgR-r8cI/mqdefault.jpg)








![Harry Belafonte - I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (RCA Victor 1958)
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day is a Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem Christmas Bells by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The song tells of the narrators despair, upon hearing Christmas bells during the American Civil War, that hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men. The carol concludes with the bells carrying renewed hope for peace among men.
In 1861, two years before writing this poem, Longfellows personal peace was shaken when his second wife of 18 years, to whom he was very devoted, was fatally burned in an accidental fire. Then in 1863, during the American Civil War, Longfellows oldest son, Charles Appleton Longfellow, joined the Union Army without his fathers blessing. Longfellow was informed by a letter dated March 14, 1863, after Charles had left. I have tried hard to resist the temptation of going without your leave but I cannot any longer, he wrote. I feel it to be my first duty to do what I can for my country and I would willingly lay down my life for it if it would be of any good. Charles was soon appointed as a lieutenant but, in November, he was severely wounded in the Battle of Mine Run. Charles eventually recovered, but his time as a soldier was finished.
Longfellow wrote the poem on Christmas Day in 1863. Christmas Bells was first published in February 1865, in Our Young Folks, a juvenile magazine published by Ticknor and Fields. References to the Civil War are prevalent in some of the verses that are not commonly sung. The refrain peace on Earth, goodwill to men is a reference to the King James Version of Luke 2:14.
It was not until 1872 that the poem is known to have been set to music. The English organist, John Baptiste Calkin, used the poem in a processional accompanied with a melody Waltham that he previously used as early as 1848. The Calkin version of the carol was long the standard. Less commonly, the poem has also been set to Joseph Mainzers 1845 composition Mainzer. Since at least the middle of the 20th century, the poem has been set to other musical arrangements, most notably in 1956 by Johnny Marks.
Bing Crosby recorded the song on October 3, 1956, using Markss melody. It was released as a single and reached No. 55 in the Music Vendor survey. The record was praised by both Billboard and Variety. Bing Crosbys workover of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day looks like a big one for the 56 Yule and a hit potential of enduring value. At deadline time, not many of this years Christmas issues had shown much action. This new Crosby record, however, was off to a promising start. As fast as it is catching on early in the month, it is easy to project the impressive volume it will rack up the last half of December. Markss tune has since received more than 60 commercial recordings, with total sales exceeding 5 million copies.
To Wish You a Merry Christmas is an album by Harry Belafonte Recorded May 27, 31, June 1, 3 and 8 of 1958 in Hollywood. Conducted by Bob Corman. Millard Thomas and Laurindo Almeida, guitarists. Produced and directed by Ed Welker.
Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafontes career breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the first million-selling LP by a single artist.
Belafonte was best known for his recordings of Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora), Jamaica Farewell, and Marys Boy Child. He recorded and performed in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards.[2] He also starred in films such as Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), Buck and the Preacher (1972), and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). He made his final feature film appearance in Spike Lees BlacKkKlansman (2018).
Harry Belafonte considered the actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson to be a mentor. Belafonte was also a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and acted as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues. He was also a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush and first Donald Trump administrations.
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar Carols play
And wide and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth good will to man
I thought as now this day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rung so long the unbroken song
Of peace on earth good will to man
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and marks the song
Of peace on earth good will to man
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead nor does he sleep
The wrong shall fail the right prevail
With peace on earth good will to man Harry Belafonte - I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (RCA Victor 1958)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aH43D62eknc/mqdefault.jpg)
