Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW023275S
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00:16 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:18 ♪[soft music]♪ 00:20 >>John Bradshaw: This is "It Is Written." 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 Among the songs you hear playing at Christmas 00:27 when you're out shopping or listening to a playlist 00:30 of Christmas tunes, you're almost certain to hear 00:34 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." 00:37 It's been recorded hundreds of times 00:39 by some of the most acclaimed recording artists 00:42 in modern music history-- 00:44 Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett-- 00:48 even the Muppets. 00:50 You'll find it on Christmas albums 00:51 recorded by more recent artists, 00:53 such as Michael Bublé and Josh Groban. 00:56 It began as a show tune of sorts. 00:59 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" 01:01 was written by a man named Hugh Martin. 01:04 And while the song lives on today, 01:06 the story behind the melody isn't often heard. 01:11 It's a story about Christmas, about fame and fortune, 01:15 about illness and depression. 01:18 It's a story about friends who become family. 01:22 But mostly, it's a story about encountering God 01:25 and coming to learn that knowing Him 01:28 is infinitely more meaningful 01:30 than all the glitz and glamor that life can offer. 01:34 Hugh Martin was born in 1914. 01:37 Like many musicians whose names have appeared in lights, 01:41 his love of music began when he was a small boy. 01:44 His mother made frequent trips to New York, 01:46 and she'd come home to Birmingham, Alabama, 01:48 with stories about the newest music she'd heard, 01:51 which encouraged Hugh to one day visit the Big Apple himself. 01:56 As an aspiring pianist, 20-year-old Hugh took a trip 01:59 to New York City with his mother, 02:01 and he met a woman named Helen Morgan, 02:03 one of the major Broadway stars at the time. 02:06 For Hugh it was like a dream come true. 02:10 Back home, he became a well-known pianist 02:12 and singer, but he knew that if he wanted to make it big, 02:16 New York was the place to be. 02:19 Finally, the day came when Martin, 02:21 with only a little cash in his pocket 02:23 but with a heart full of desire, made the big move. 02:26 Like many other working musicians in Manhattan 02:28 in the 1930s and '40s, 02:30 he struggled to make a name for himself 02:32 while playing as many gigs with as many groups as he could find. 02:36 It was the Golden Age of Music, 02:38 and while motion pictures were on the rise, 02:41 Martin was a creature of the theater. 02:44 He later wrote, "The theater was flourishing, 02:47 "scores of playhouses were open and playing to good business. 02:51 "Plays and musicals made sense, with a beginning, a middle 02:54 "and an end--an end that more often than not 02:57 "left the theatergoer satisfied, fulfilled 03:00 "and edified. The musicals flowed with melody, 03:03 "even when the libretto didn't make much sense. 03:06 "And the weightier plays 03:07 "profoundly comforted the afflicted 03:10 and afflicted the comfortable." 03:12 Along the way, Martin met Ralph Blane, 03:15 one of a wave of aspiring young musicians in New York. 03:20 By the late 1930s, the pair became 03:22 one of the great American songwriting teams 03:25 for both stage and movie musicals. 03:28 In 1937 Martin started a four-person vocal group 03:32 he called "The Martins," 03:34 choosing Blane as one of the singers of the group. 03:37 In 1939 they caught their break 03:40 when they were called to join Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney 03:44 on the stage of the Capitol Theatre in New York 03:47 for appearances MGM had organized to help promote 03:51 the opening of the film "The Wizard of Oz." 03:55 It was the kind of opportunity Hugh had been hoping for. 03:58 And it thrust him into the limelight. 04:00 Garland and Rooney were huge stars. 04:04 This was the big time. 04:08 Martin and Blane collaborated for years, 04:10 and his chance to meet and work with Judy Garland 04:13 led to exciting opportunities. 04:15 Martin looked up to Garland, writing, 04:17 "There is little doubt in my mind that the greatest singer 04:20 "of pop songs in my lifetime, 04:22 and possibly in anyone's lifetime, is Judy Garland." 04:27 As a result of working with Garland, 04:30 Martin and Blane received an offer from MGM 04:33 to work for the studio as songwriters. 04:36 At the time, MGM was the dominant Hollywood film studio-- 04:41 and the most profitable. 04:43 Just prior to the offer, the songwriting duo had success 04:47 with their first stage musical, "Best Foot Forward," 04:51 which was choreographed by Gene Kelly, 04:54 another giant of the stage and screen. 04:57 Hugh Martin was making it big. 04:59 And at MGM he again crossed paths with the woman he called 05:03 "the Queen of the Lot," Judy Garland. 05:07 And it was there that Hugh would pen 05:09 one of the most beloved Christmas ballads ever 05:12 for a new film in which Garland was starring. 05:16 But as big as that was, just around the corner 05:19 there was an even bigger engagement waiting for Hugh, 05:22 bigger than MGM, 05:24 and grander than performing with the Queen of the Lot. 05:28 It was a meeting with royalty, a life-changing encounter 05:33 with the King of the universe, 05:36 how God changed a songwriter's life, in just a moment. 05:40 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪ 05:49 >>Announcer: For 2,000 years it's been the hope 05:52 of the Christian church. It's a major theme of the Bible 05:55 and the focal point of the book of Revelation: 05:58 the return of Jesus to the world. 06:00 Call now for your free copy of "The Soon Return of Jesus." 06:04 Learn what the Bible says on this vital subject 06:07 and untangle many modern myths. 06:09 Call 800-253-3000. 06:11 That's 800-253-3000. 06:14 Or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 06:20 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on "It Is Written." 06:23 Sometime before 1944, Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane 06:27 received the call from MGM to write the music 06:30 for the film "Meet Me in St. Louis," 06:32 which produced a couple of hit songs. 06:34 And although both Blane and Martin received credit 06:37 for composing the song, it was Martin who wrote the melody 06:41 known today as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." 06:46 At first, it wasn't well received. 06:49 When she heard the song for the first time, 06:50 Judy Garland refused to record it. 06:53 She said, "The audience will think I'm a monster." 06:57 It was written to feature in a scene 06:59 in which a man tells his family 07:01 they must move from St. Louis to New York City. 07:05 Garland's character comes home to find 07:07 her little sister heartbroken at having to leave her home behind. 07:11 So, she sings her sister a song: 07:15 "Have yourself a merry little Christmas. It may be your last. 07:21 "Next year we may all be living in the past. 07:25 "Have yourself a merry little Christmas. 07:27 "Pop that champagne cork. 07:30 "Next year we may all be living in New York. 07:32 "No good times like the olden days. Happy golden days of yore. 07:37 "Faithful friends who were dear to us. 07:39 Will be near to us no more." 07:41 And so on to, 07:42 "So have yourself a merry little Christmas now." 07:45 Not the jolliest of songs. 07:47 You can understand why the superstar Garland 07:50 wasn't keen on singing it. But after protesting strongly, 07:53 Martin rewrote the words and created the Christmas song 07:57 still heard 80 years later: 08:00 "Have yourself a merry little Christmas. 08:03 "Let your heart be light. 08:05 "Next year all our troubles will be out of sight. 08:09 "Have yourself a merry little Christmas. 08:11 "Make the Yule-tide gay. 08:13 "Next year all our troubles will be miles away. 08:16 "Once again as in olden days, happy golden days of yore, 08:21 "faithful friends who were dear to us 08:23 will be near to us once more." 08:26 And ending with those well-known words, 08:28 "So have yourself a merry little Christmas now." 08:33 And so was born a Christmas song 08:35 that would still be getting airplay eight decades later. 08:39 Hugh Martin's name was now on par 08:41 with the greatest songwriters of the Golden Age of Music. 08:46 But that wasn't the end of the story 08:48 for "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." 08:52 Nor was it the end of Hugh's story, 08:54 because God was about to make His big entrance. 08:58 Although Hugh would continue to write for MGM 09:01 and share the stage many times over with Judy Garland, 09:05 it was in 1960 that his journey would take 09:09 a very different turn, one that would quite literally 09:13 change his life from that point on. 09:17 While crossing the Atlantic for an engagement in London, 09:20 Hugh suddenly became very ill, 09:22 so ill that he wasn't able to sleep or keep any food down. 09:26 He fell into such a deep depression that 09:28 he committed himself to a mental health facility in London. 09:32 One day he wandered to the basement of the facility 09:35 and found a chapel. 09:38 There he became what he described later as 09:41 "a small terrified child." 09:44 He prayed a desperate prayer: 09:46 "I don't even know that there is a God. But if there is, 09:49 "if you can hear me, please, 09:52 please, pull me out of this miry pit." 09:57 It was the first time he'd ever spoken to God 10:00 in a real and meaningful way. 10:02 There, in a cold dark basement, 10:05 far from the stage and lights and glamor, 10:08 Hugh Martin had an encounter with God, 10:11 the impact of which wouldn't be fully felt until years later. 10:16 When he got well and returned to the States, 10:19 he continued to write songs. 10:21 Then 14 years after that initial illness, he fell ill again 10:27 and was admitted to St. Vincent's Hospital 10:29 in his hometown of Birmingham. 10:31 As he tells the story, when he and his brother arrived 10:34 at the hospital, he heard a voice, which said clearly, 10:39 "Hugh, share your room." 10:41 Arrangements had already been made for Hugh 10:43 to have a private room. 10:44 But when he heard the voice a second time, 10:47 he insisted they check with reception 10:49 to see if he could share a room. 10:51 He was told it couldn't be done. 10:52 The hospital was full, and things couldn't be changed. 10:56 But then the phone rang, 10:57 and Hugh heard the lady at reception say, "Really?" 11:01 A shared room had all of a sudden opened up, 11:03 and Hugh was admitted to a double room. 11:06 He wrote in his autobiography, 11:08 "My roommate turned out to be William Lester, 11:12 "an assistant pastor 11:13 in a local...Seventh-day Adventist Church." 11:16 He said, "I was surprised, more than that, impressed. 11:20 "I felt I had been led to that room for a specific reason.... 11:24 "It seemed orchestrated from above: 11:26 "the mysterious Voice in the foyer, 11:28 "the sudden availability of a room for two patients, 11:31 "the unusual coincidence of my roommate 11:33 "being a devout Christian, most of all, his genuine reverence. 11:38 "Put them all together and it seemed undeniable 11:42 that it was the most important day of my life." 11:45 He had many meaningful conversations 11:47 with Pastor Lester, and becoming convicted of the truth 11:50 of Scripture, he gave his life completely to Christ. 11:54 Going from the glamor of MGM to a small inpatient hospital room 11:59 brought Hugh, a famous musician, 12:02 in contact with the living God. 12:05 His life in show business now seemed to be far less important 12:09 and was certainly unimportant in comparison 12:11 to the good news of eternal life. 12:13 Suddenly the man behind the song became the man God made new. 12:16 The old life was gone, and a new life lay ahead. 12:20 Hugh devoted his life to his faith in Jesus. 12:23 But even that wouldn't be the end for Hugh. 12:25 Years later, as his name became obscure and very little came 12:29 from his composer's pen, he became part of a new family 12:33 that ended up caring for him until the end of his life. 12:37 I'll be back with that story, and with the man 12:38 who became Hugh's friend, in just a moment. 12:42 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪ 12:52 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 12:54 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 12:57 To support this international life-changing ministry, 13:00 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 13:05 You can send your tax-deductible gift 13:06 to the address on your screen, 13:08 or you can visit online at itiswritten.com. 13:11 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 13:14 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 13:18 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 13:22 >>John: Among Jesus' final words to His closest friends 13:25 was a commission to take the gospel to the world. 13:29 What would He say to His friends today? 13:32 Don't miss "To Seek and to Save." 13:35 Join me for reports and insights from around the globe 13:38 and see what God is doing 13:40 to reach the lost with the good news. 13:43 We'll visit It Is Written mission projects 13:44 around the planet, and you'll learn how you can participate 13:48 in growing the kingdom of God. 13:50 Of the 8 billion people in the world, 13:52 almost 6 billion are not Christian, 13:55 and it's said that 3 billion people alive today 13:59 have never had the chance to hear the gospel. 14:02 It's time. 14:03 "To Seek and to Save," an inspiring look 14:06 at the power of God to change a life 14:09 and the opportunities you have to lead someone to salvation. 14:14 "To Seek and to Save," 14:16 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 14:22 >>Announcer: For 2,000 years it's been the hope 14:25 of the Christian church. It's a major theme of the Bible 14:28 and the focal point of the book of Revelation: 14:30 the return of Jesus to the world. 14:33 Call now for your free copy of "The Soon Return of Jesus." 14:37 Learn what the Bible says on this vital subject 14:40 and untangle many modern myths. 14:42 Call 800-253-3000. 14:44 That's 800-253-3000. 14:47 Or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 14:53 >>John Bradshaw: Hugh Martin was no stranger 14:55 to fame and fortune, 14:56 writing songs for and working with some of Hollywood's 14:59 biggest names on both the musical theater stage 15:02 and at MGM, the fabled movie studio, 15:05 during the Golden Age of Hollywood. 15:08 But it's the second act of his life 15:09 which few people know anything about. 15:12 What happened to Hugh Martin after MGM? 15:15 Did he continue to write and captivate audiences 15:18 with his music? In a way, yes. 15:21 What history records of the first act of his life 15:24 pales in comparison to what came after Hollywood. 15:29 A series of providential events would lead him in the 1970s 15:33 to the town on Encinitas, 15:35 20 miles north of San Diego, California. 15:38 By now, music had changed enormously. 15:41 With the dawn of rock and roll, much of the old movie 15:43 and theater music had become a thing of the past. 15:47 And Hugh's conversion had led him to make a choice 15:49 that not many in the music industry ever make. 15:53 In Matthew 16:26 Jesus said, 15:56 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, 16:00 and loses his own soul?" 16:03 In Matthew 6:24, Jesus makes clear 16:06 that you cannot serve both the world and God. 16:10 "No one can serve two masters, 16:12 "for either he will hate the one and love the other, 16:15 "or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 16:18 You cannot serve God and money." 16:21 Hugh was deeply convicted by those words 16:23 and others like them, and he chose to serve God and only God. 16:28 If it meant giving up the world he'd known before, 16:31 he reasoned it was well worth it 16:32 to finally find eternal life in Christ. 16:35 Although show business had made him famous and earned him money, 16:38 he realized that while he had it all by the world's standards, 16:43 he was still missing the one thing that mattered most. 16:47 Like Paul wrote in Philippians, chapter 3, verse 7, 16:49 "But what things were gain to me, 16:52 "these I have counted loss for Christ. 16:55 "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence 16:58 "of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, 17:01 "for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, 17:03 and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." 17:08 It was around 1975 17:10 that Hugh began attending a little church in Encinitas. 17:14 One day, a woman named Elaine Harrison noticed an older man 17:17 coming to church all by himself. 17:20 Dressed in a long army overcoat and wearing a black gaucho hat, 17:25 he carried a cane and sat right up on the front row. 17:29 Elaine noticed that he came and left by taxi. 17:31 Wondering who this lone stranger was, 17:33 Elaine introduced herself 17:35 and offered him a ride home after church. 17:38 That ride turned into a weekly shuttle service. 17:41 By this time Hugh had suffered from more health problems 17:44 but mentioned to Elaine that they didn't affect his work. 17:48 Asking what work he did, 17:50 she was surprised to learn he was a songwriter. 17:54 When she asked if she would know any of the songs 17:56 he'd written, Hugh rattled off a few titles. 17:59 Elaine couldn't believe who she'd been driving 18:01 for the last few weeks. 18:02 She couldn't wait to tell everyone 18:03 that the man attending her church was Hugh Martin. 18:07 Elaine and her husband, Fred, became fast friends with Hugh. 18:11 And feeling sorry that he was alone and had no family, 18:14 they offered to have him stay with them for a month or two. 18:18 That month or two turned into more than 25 years. 18:23 Hugh stayed with Fred and Elaine until his death in 2011. 18:29 Elaine essentially became Hugh's manager, 18:31 handling his correspondence, publications, and engagements, 18:34 and more. 18:35 Two years after Hugh died, Elaine passed away. 18:38 Her husband Fred still lives in southern California. 18:42 I sat down with Fred and asked him to give me some insight 18:44 into Hugh's sunset years. 18:47 >>Fred Harrison: The world had sorta [clears throat] 18:50 dropped off all the, uh, Golden Era composers, 18:55 uh, Gershwin, Kern, etc. 18:58 and, uh, taken over by Elvis Presley and Chubby Checker. 19:03 And he really didn't have any work. 19:05 He didn't have any particular contacts. 19:07 He lived in, uh, Leucadia, and, uh, he lived in an area 19:11 which was adjacent to the little shopping center 19:14 in the middle of Leucadia. 19:16 Went out one night, and, uh, either the truck driver 19:20 didn't see him, or he didn't see the truck, and he was struck, 19:22 and, uh, broke his hip and broke his shoulder. 19:26 Subsequently, he was hospitalized and had surgery 19:30 at, uh, Scripps Encinitas. 19:33 And when it came time to be discharged, uh, 19:36 at that time there was not a rehab setup at all. 19:39 You were given the date when you could be discharged 19:42 and go home--which he did, 19:45 except that my wife found that out and, uh, said, 19:49 "Oh, you can come recover at our house 19:51 for a few days or a week." 19:55 Uh, which he did. And, uh, he never left. [chuckles] 20:02 >>John: So tell me what this man was like. 20:04 What was he like as a, as a person? 20:06 >>Fred: He was very quiet, very humble, not outspoken, 20:09 not boisterous. He was a very private, humble individual. 20:14 >>John: Did it, did it appear to you that, 20:16 that fame affected him? 20:18 >>Fred: None whatsoever. 20:20 [chuckles] At least it wasn't obvious at all. 20:22 I mean, he was not a public individual. 20:25 He did not put himself out. 20:27 He did, he did not even appear at these places. 20:30 He would promptly run off the stage when they were done. 20:33 He did not stay around to sign autographs, 20:36 to make, uh, chat-chat or say anything at all. 20:39 >>John: Did you get to see how faith was something 20:41 that was important to him? 20:43 >>Fred: Well, he was very spiritual. 20:44 There was no question of that. 20:46 He, uh, always had morning and evening prayers. 20:50 His lifestyle consisted of prayer and Bible study, 20:54 and, uh, then he would, uh, occasionally had a--he had 20:59 a voluminous correspondence, and he wrote a lot of letters. 21:04 And, uh, and then, I think, resting, and, uh, that was it. 21:09 I mean, he was just very happy and, and content 21:11 with the lifestyle that he lived as long as I knew him. 21:16 >>John: Hugh Martin achieved his childhood dream 21:18 of performing and writing songs. 21:21 Then after working in New York City and Hollywood, 21:23 he started a new life 21:25 as an unassuming follower of Jesus Christ. 21:28 He continued to play, 21:30 but instead of bright lights in big cities, 21:33 he accompanied Christian singers in far more humble locations. 21:38 And the popular Christmas song that Hugh Martin 21:40 had given the world so many years before 21:43 now seemed to him to be incomplete. 21:46 He wanted the song to reflect his faith in God 21:50 and what he believed was the true meaning of Christmas. 21:54 The result was "Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas," 21:59 the third version of the song: 22:03 "Have yourself a blessed little Christmas. 22:06 "Christ the King is born. 22:08 "Let your voices ring upon this happy morn. 22:13 "Have yourself a blessed little Christmas. 22:15 "Serenade the earth. 22:18 "Tell the world we celebrate the Savior's birth. 22:21 "Let us gather to sing to Him and to bring to Him our praise. 22:27 Son of God and Friend of all to the end of all our days." 22:32 And ending with, 22:33 "Have yourself a blessed little Christmas now." 22:39 An extraordinarily talented man 22:41 who achieved more as a musician than most people could hope for, 22:44 and he came to understand that his talents 22:46 had been given to him by his Creator. 22:49 Near the end of his autobiography, he wrote, 22:52 "Sharing the Palace stage with Garland, 22:55 "Arthur Freed musicals at MGM, hit shows on Broadway 22:59 "with long lines at the box office and rave reviews 23:02 "from the newspapers--none of these could ever hold a candle 23:06 "to a good old-fashioned camp meeting 23:08 "with all the stops pulled out, 23:10 'Give Me That Old Time Religion!'" 23:14 Hugh Martin figured out that his secular career 23:16 didn't satisfy the longing of his heart. 23:20 And there are many people in that same situation today. 23:22 You might be one of them. Success is good. 23:26 But success without Christ isn't success. 23:30 If God gives you success in your career, your vocation, 23:33 that's great-- unless it isn't. 23:36 There are many people who have allowed success to lead them 23:39 away from faith, away from their commitment to God: 23:43 athletes and artists and musicians and business people 23:46 and professionals, having success and not having Jesus. 23:49 It simply isn't worth it. 23:52 Think of Jesus, the divine Son of God, 23:56 the Creator of the world, the One who said, 23:59 "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, 24:03 and to give His life a ransom for many." 24:06 He could have lived in a palace. 24:08 He could have been popular and powerful, 24:10 but His primary objective was to glorify His Father. 24:13 That was it. 24:15 And although it took him a few years to do so, 24:16 Hugh Martin figured that out. 24:19 You don't want to waste that time. Put Jesus first. 24:23 Let Him take you to where He wants you to go. 24:25 Do it His way and you'll have no regrets. 24:29 Choose heaven. Choose eternity. 24:33 Paul wrote to the church in Philippi and said, 24:35 "One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind 24:39 "and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 24:42 "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God 24:46 in Christ Jesus." 24:48 This Christmas, press toward the goal. 24:52 Let your goal be a life lived for the glory of God, 24:56 and have yourself a blessed little Christmas now. 25:00 Before we hear the song, let me pray with you. 25:03 Our Father in heaven, we come to You in Jesus' name, 25:06 and we thank You that You have given this world 25:08 the greatest gift imaginable: salvation. 25:12 ♪[soft orchestral music]♪ 25:13 I ask, Lord, that You would move in our hearts, 25:14 that we would put Jesus first. 25:17 May we have Jesus now and forever 25:21 and be ready to meet Him on that great day when He comes back 25:23 to take us home to be with You forever. 25:26 We thank You, and we pray in Jesus' name, amen. 25:32 ♪[transition to "Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas"]♪ 25:41 [Javier Gonzalez] ♪ Have yourself ♪ 25:44 ♪ a blessed little Christmas. ♪ 25:49 ♪ Christ the King is born. ♪ 25:56 ♪ Let your voices ring ♪ 25:59 ♪ upon this happy morn. ♪ 26:11 ♪ Have yourself ♪ 26:15 ♪ a blessed little Christmas. ♪ 26:20 ♪ Serenade the earth. ♪ 26:26 ♪ Tell the world we celebrate ♪ 26:31 ♪ the Savior's birth. ♪ 26:42 ♪ Let us gather to sing to Him ♪ 26:49 ♪ And to bring to Him ♪ 26:53 ♪ our praise. ♪ 26:57 ♪ Son of God ♪ 27:01 ♪ and Friend of all ♪ 27:04 ♪ To the end of all ♪ 27:08 ♪ our days. ♪ 27:16 ♪ Sing hosannas, hymns, and hallelujahs, ♪ 27:26 ♪ As to Him we bow. ♪ 27:33 ♪ Make the music mighty ♪ 27:37 ♪ as the heav'ns allow. ♪ 27:47 ♪ And have yourself ♪ 27:51 ♪ A blessed little Christmas ♪ 27:56 ♪ now. ♪ 28:03 ♪ And have yourself ♪ 28:07 ♪ A blessed little Christmas ♪ 28:13 ♪ now. ♪ 28:23 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2023-12-20