In this special holiday episode, Aaron breaks down the surprising origin of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” a song that was almost far too bleak for the movie it was written for. He explores how Judy Garland rejected the original lyrics, why Hugh Martin rewrote them, and how the shift turned the tune into one of the most emotional Christmas standards of all time. Aaron also compares the Garland and Sinatra versions, highlighting the lyric changes that shaped each performance. This short deep dive blends music history and storytelling to remind listeners what the holidays mean when life is heavy, hopeful, and real. *Here's your lyric guide! 📱Try not to doom scroll, but if you do, at least scroll through Aaron’s micro shorts called ⁠7MS Haikus⁠. 📻 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night storytelling show where he shares new stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed Thursday at 9:30PM EST on YouTube. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📬 Join the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 7 Minute Stories Newsletter!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It only goes out 4–6 times a year — short, sweet, and packed with value. Get exclusive bonus content, behind-the-scenes stories, and invites to special remote events, delivered straight to your inbox. The Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Thanks: Shannon Baker Rob Montague Jr Kyle McCarthy Dania Khalife *Songwriters: Irving Berlin / Jule Styne / Sammy Cahn / Ralph Blane / Hugh Martin / Richard B. Smith / Felix Bernard Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas lyrics © Berlin Irving Music Corp., Emi Feist Catalog Inc.