Christmas music has a special charm. We don’t listen to it during the remaining months of the year, so it comes back every year with new, fresh energy – usually around the end of November. But when we hear Crosby’s voice singing “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas” – unlike many other Christmas songs – we don’t react with boredom or roll our eyes. This Christmas standard defends itself with its beauty, slight melancholy and charm.
One Christmas song doesn’t make Christmas
Many artists have tried to repeat Crosby’s success: The Carpenters with “Merry Christmas Darling”, The Beach Boys with “Little Saint Nick”, Elton John with “Step Into Christmas” and Ella Fitzgerald with “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, “Let It Snow”.
Of course, let’s not forget about “Last Christmas” (Aj gew ju ma ha) by Wham!, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, or the native “Jest tak Dzień” by Czerwone Gitary.
Yet none of these songs achieved the level of popularity of “White Christmas” – at least in the United States.
The fascinating story of the creation of “White Christmas”
The original version of “White Christmas” was recorded by Bing Crosby in May 1942. Yes, in May – because few people know that many Christmas songs are recorded in spring and summer. However, this original version is not the one we know today. In 1947, Crosby recorded a nearly identical version because the original tape had worn out from repeated playback.
The author of the song is Irving Berlin, a Jewish composer born in Belarus as Israel Berlin. As a child, he moved with his family to New York. Berlin, who also wrote the lyrics of “God Bless America”, was self-taught. He couldn’t read or write down sheet music, and he composed melodies only on the black piano keys. When he was working on “White Christmas”, he simply hummed the melody and dictated the lyrics to his secretary.
“White Christmas” was first publicly performed on December 24, 1941, during Bing Crosby’s radio program. This was just a few weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The song gained special meaning for American soldiers on the front, reminding them of their family homes waiting for them.
“White Christmas” has many faces
Over the years, many artists have attempted to perform “White Christmas”. The list of performers included artists as diverse as Bob Marley, Stiff Little Fingers, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, U2, Elvis Presley and Gwen Stefani. Irving Berlin himself was not delighted with Elvis Presley’s version and tried… to prevent its distribution in court.
The latest version of “White Christmas” is the version of K-pop idol V from the group BTS, which he recorded… in a duet with Crosby. With his original recording, that is. Thus, “White Christmas” with a touch of Korean pop hit the charts again. He’ll probably be there next year too.