If We Make It Through December - Music
If We Make It Through December by Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Artist Biography For Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard April 6 1937 – April 6 2016 Was An American Country Singer Songwriter Guitarist And Fiddler. Haggard Was Born In Oildale California During The Great Depression. His Childhood Was Troubled After The Death Of His Father And He Was Incarcerated Several Times In His Youth. After Being Released From San Quentin State Prison In 1960 He Managed To Turn His Life Around And Launch A Successful Country Music Career. He Gained Popularity With His Songs About The Working Class That Occasionally Contained Themes Contrary To The Prevailing Anti-Vietnam War Sentiment Of Much Popular Music Of The Time. Between The 1960s And The 1980s He Had 38 Number-One Hits On The US Country Charts Several Of Which Also Made The Billboard All-Genre Singles Chart. Haggard Continued To Release Successful Albums Into The 2000s. He Received Many Honors And Awards For His Music Including A Kennedy Center Honor 2010 A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 2006 A BMI Icon Award 2006 And Induction Into The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame 1977 Country Music Hall Of Fame 1994 And Oklahoma Music Hall Of Fame 1997 . He Died On April 6 2016 — His 79th Birthday — At His Ranch In Shasta County California Having Recently Suffered From Double Pneumonia. Haggard's Last Recording A Song Called "Kern River Blues" Described His Departure From Bakersfield In The Late 1970s And His Displeasure With Politicians. The Song Was Recorded February 9 2016 And Features His Son Ben On Guitar. This Record Was Released On May 12 2016. Haggard Endorsed Fender Guitars And Had A Custom Artist Signature Model Telecaster. The Guitar Is A Modified Telecaster Thinline With Laminated Top Of Figured Maple Set Neck With Deep Carved Heel Birdseye Maple Fingerboard With 22 Jumbo Frets Ivoroid Pickguard And Binding Gold Hardware Abalone Tuff Dog Tele Peghead Inlay 2-Colour Sunburst Finish And A Pair Of Fender Texas Special Tele Single-Coil Pickups With Custom-Wired 4-Way Pickup Switching. He Also Played Six-String Acoustic Models. In 2001 C. F. Martin & Company Introduced A Limited Edition Merle Haggard Signature Edition 000-28SMH Acoustic Guitar Available With Or Without Factory-Installed Electronics.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: If We Make It Through December
Merle-Haggard - 40 #1 Hits
"If We Make It Through December" Is A Song Written And Recorded By Country Music Singer Merle Haggard And The Strangers. The Song Spent Four Weeks At # 1 On The Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart In December 1973 And January 1974 And Cracked The Top 30 Of The Billboard Hot 100. "If We Make It Through December" Was The #2 Song Of The Year On Billboard's Hot Country Singles 1974 Year-End Chart. It Was Released In October 1973 As The Lead Single From The Album Merle Haggard's Christmas Present And Was The Title Track On A Non-Christmas Album Four Months Later. In The Years Since Its Release "If We Make It Through December" — Which In Addition To Its Christmas Motif Also Uses Themes Of Unemployment And Loneliness — Has Become One Of The Trademark Songs Of Haggard's Career. Written In 1973 It Treats With Haggard's Characteristically Simple Poetry The Desperate Optimism Of A Working-Class Man Dealing With Economic Hardship. Having Been Laid Off From His Factory Job Just Prior To The Christmas Season The Man Becomes Depressed Over His Predicament During What Normally Should Be A "happy Time Of Year." At One Point He Observes That His Little Girl "don't Understand Why Daddy Can't Afford No Christmas Cheer." The Chorus "If We Make It Through December/Everything's Gonna Be Alright I Know" Expresses Hope The Protagonist Telling Himself That Hope Exists If He Wants To Deal With "the Coldest Time Of Winter" And The Cold Lonely Feeling He Experiences While Watching The Snow Fall "and I Shiver When I See The Falling Snow" . While Christmas Is A Prominent Theme Of This Song Writer Merle Haggard Said The Song Is Not Considered A "pure" Christmas Record As The Subject Of Economics Was Also Explored. Several Singers In The Country Folk And Pop Genres Have Covered "If We Make It Through December " Including Alan Jackson On His Christmas Album Honky Tonk Christmas Marty Robbins Faron Young Holly Cole. Joey Rory Recorded It For Their Album A Farmhouse Christmas With Merle Haggard Adding Background Vocals As Well As Singing The Final Chorus. The Song Was Also Covered By The Blue Shadows Featuring Billy Cowsill And Included On The 2010 Re-Release Of The Band's Debut Album. The Song Was Covered By Both The Mamas And Phoebe Bridgers In November 2020.
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Biography - Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard April 6 1937 – April 6 2016 Was An American Country Singer Songwriter Guitarist And Fiddler. Haggard Was Born In Oildale California During The Great Depression. His Childhood Was Troubled After The Death Of His Father And He Was Incarcerated Several Times In His Youth. After Being Released From San Quentin State Prison In 1960 He Managed To Turn His Life Around And Launch A Successful Country Music Career. He Gained Popularity With His Songs About The Working Class That Occasionally Contained Themes Contrary To The Prevailing Anti-Vietnam War Sentiment Of Much Popular Music Of The Time. Between The 1960s And The 1980s He Had 38 Number-One Hits On The US Country Charts Several Of Which Also Made The Billboard All-Genre Singles Chart. Haggard Continued To Release Successful Albums Into The 2000s. He Received Many Honors And Awards For His Music Including A Kennedy Center Honor 2010 A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 2006 A BMI Icon Award 2006 And Induction Into The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame 1977 Country Music Hall Of Fame 1994 And Oklahoma Music Hall Of Fame 1997 . He Died On April 6 2016 — His 79th Birthday — At His Ranch In Shasta County California Having Recently Suffered From Double Pneumonia. Haggard's Last Recording A Song Called "Kern River Blues" Described His Departure From Bakersfield In The Late 1970s And His Displeasure With Politicians. The Song Was Recorded February 9 2016 And Features His Son Ben On Guitar. This Record Was Released On May 12 2016. Haggard Endorsed Fender Guitars And Had A Custom Artist Signature Model Telecaster. The Guitar Is A Modified Telecaster Thinline With Laminated Top Of Figured Maple Set Neck With Deep Carved Heel Birdseye Maple Fingerboard With 22 Jumbo Frets Ivoroid Pickguard And Binding Gold Hardware Abalone Tuff Dog Tele Peghead Inlay 2-Colour Sunburst Finish And A Pair Of Fender Texas Special Tele Single-Coil Pickups With Custom-Wired 4-Way Pickup Switching. He Also Played Six-String Acoustic Models. In 2001 C. F. Martin & Company Introduced A Limited Edition Merle Haggard Signature Edition 000-28SMH Acoustic Guitar Available With Or Without Factory-Installed Electronics.
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16 Similar Artists To Merle Haggard - Frogtoon Music
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"If We Make It Through December" is a song written and recorded by country music singer Merle Haggard and the Strangers. The song spent four weeks at # 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in December 1973 and January 1974, and cracked the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. "If We Make It Through December" was the #2 song of the year on Billboard's Hot Country Singles 1974 year-end chart.
It was released in October 1973 as the lead single from the album Merle Haggard's Christmas Present, and was the title track on a non-Christmas album four months later. In the years since its release, "If We Make It Through December" — which, in addition to its Christmas motif, also uses themes of unemployment and loneliness — has become one of the trademark songs of Haggard's career.
Written in 1973, it treats with Haggard's characteristically simple poetry the desperate optimism of a working-class man dealing with economic hardship. Having been laid off from his factory job just prior to the Christmas season, the man becomes depressed over his predicament during what normally should be a "happy time of year." At one point, he observes that his little girl "don't understand why Daddy can't afford no Christmas cheer."
The chorus, "If we make it through December/Everything's gonna be alright, I know" expresses hope, the protagonist telling himself that hope exists if he wants to deal with "the coldest time of winter" and the cold, lonely feeling he experiences while watching the snow fall ("and I shiver when I see the falling snow").
While Christmas is a prominent theme of this song, writer Merle Haggard said the song is not considered a "pure" Christmas record, as the subject of economics was also explored.
Several singers in the country, folk and pop genres have covered "If We Make It Through December," including Alan Jackson (on his Christmas album, Honky Tonk Christmas), Marty Robbins, Faron Young, Holly Cole. Joey + Rory recorded it for their album A Farmhouse Christmas with Merle Haggard adding background vocals as well as singing the final chorus. The song was also covered by the Blue Shadows, featuring Billy Cowsill, and included on the 2010 re-release of the band's debut album. The song was covered by both The Mamas and Phoebe Bridgers in November 2020. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.