Song Information
-
Title: If We Make It Through December
-
Artist: Merle Haggard
-
Writer: Merle Haggard
-
Album: Merle Haggard’s Christmas Present
-
Released: October 1973
-
Genre: Country
-
Label: Capitol Records
-
Chart Performance: No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles (December 1973 – January 1974); Top 30 on Billboard Hot 100
Written and performed by Merle Haggard, this song became one of his most enduring hits and one of the few Christmas-themed songs to top country charts. Despite its seasonal framing, the song resonates far beyond the holidays, thanks to its emotional depth and universal themes of hardship, hope, and perseverance.
Song Meaning and Narrative
If We Make It Through December tells the story of a working-class father who has recently been laid off from his factory job just before Christmas. The song captures his pain as he struggles to provide a sense of normalcy and joy for his daughter during a time that should be filled with warmth and celebration.
Through Haggard’s deeply emotive voice and minimalist instrumentation, the song paints a picture of a man doing his best to hide his sorrow for the sake of his child. He’s not only dealing with financial difficulties but also with the psychological burden of being unable to fulfill his role as a provider. His greatest hope is that he and his daughter can simply “make it through December,” with the idea that life might be easier once the holiday pressures pass.
This is not a sentimental holiday tune—it’s a raw, brutally honest reflection of blue-collar struggle during what should be the happiest time of year. It’s precisely that emotional contrast that makes the song so memorable.
Deeper Message: Why December Feels So Heavy
While December is often portrayed as a season of joy and generosity, for many, it amplifies existing struggles—especially financial ones. In If We Make It Through December, Merle Haggard doesn’t just sing about job loss; he sings about emotional isolation, societal pressure, and the quiet despair of failing to meet expectations during the most emotionally loaded month of the year.
The phrase “If we make it through December” becomes more than a lyric—it’s a prayer. December symbolizes not only the physical cold but also emotional winter: the loneliness, the unspoken grief, and the aching desire for a better tomorrow. For working-class families living paycheck to paycheck, a layoff before Christmas could mean choosing between heating the home or buying presents. That crushing reality is what Haggard voices with such honesty.
His song speaks for millions who might be smiling on the outside during holiday gatherings while silently enduring personal hardship. It’s this courage to voice the uncomfortable truth—without dramatizing it—that elevates the song to timeless status.