Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas Read Online Free

the carol’s origination became more and more diluted.
    Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
    The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
    The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
    The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
    The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
    But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
    I love Thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
    And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
    Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
    Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
    Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
    And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.
    During World War I, while Germany battled the United States, many groups began to sing the words to “Away in a Manger” with the old Scottish tune “Flow Gently Sweet Afton.” This rendition might well have been a protest against any and all things German. Yet soon after the war, when most Americans had again embraced the original tune, a new songbook, Words and Song, gave a man named Carl Mueller credit as the musical composer of the song. Where the Boston publisher came up with Mueller’s name is another unanswered question. Carl Mueller did not write the music to “Away in a Manger”; in fact, many believe that he didn’t even exist.
    In 1945, as Americans again battled Germany in a world war, American writer Richard S. Hill sorted through the now seventy-year-old mystery concerning the carol’s origin. He determined that James R. Murray himself probably wrote the music long coupled with “Away in a Manger.” Yet as Murray always took credit when he composed a song, it is doubtful that he would have deflected the credit to Martin Luther. It’s more likely that Murray was given the song and simply adapted the existing German-influenced melody into four-part harmony for his book. It also seems likely that Murray received the story of Martin Luther writing the piece from the person who originally gave him the song.
    Whoever he or she is, the unknown songwriter probably didn’t live to see the song reach children the world over with its poignant message. Yet while the mystery of origination remains, the song’s message, depicting the precious moment when a Savior came to Earthbringing peace, joy, and hope, is so strong and profound that it leaped from a single night, from a single household, to become one of the world’s most beautiful Christmas messages in song. The picture that story paints is even more profound and riveting than that of Luther singing “Away in a Manger” in Deutsch to his children.

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T HE C HRISTMAS S ONG
    O ne of the most famous modern-day Christmas songs was written on one of the hottest California days on record. The song, which resulted from a collaboration between two of America’s best singer-songwriters, has touched millions and made both men a fixture of every holiday season. In fact, for many, Nat King Cole singing “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”—the opening line of “The Christmas Song”—is one of the greatest moments in the history of music. Yet had it not been for a friend of Cole’s named Mel Torme, who happened to drop by Cole’s house with the song, Cole would never have had the chance to record it.
    Most baby boomers came to know Mel Torme from his appearances on the television series Night Court. Because of the show, “The Velvet Fog”—as he was called by fans—was seen as little more than an old, almost forgotten jazz singer. Torme relished playing up this false image of being a loungelizard, though nothing could have been farther from the truth. Actually, Torme—a talented singer, songwriter, performer, and author—was one of the most ambitious men ever to walk onto a stage. His incredible catalog of credits continues to inspire people even after his death.
    Torme grew up in show business. In the 1930s he was a child radio actor and vaudeville performer. By his teens he was already writing songs. When he was just sixteen, he quit high school to arrange