“Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives: A Brief Inquiry

Have a “cup of cheer,” everyone.

A tree stand worker and a person apparently among all their earthly possessions — both hopefully having a holly jolly holiday season. Photo taken by the author, not far from where Burl Ives took classes in New York.

“Holly Jolly Christmas” is a staple of holiday radio, and rightly so. It’s a weird song — but also weirdly festive. It features senseless and overly sentimental lyrics that are eminently singable at loud volumes, ideally in a baritone register. And it’s probably my favorite classic Christmas song. I can’t defend or explain my preference — my spade turned, and it’s just the way it is.

Let’s examine the holliness and the jolliness of the Johnny Marks/Burl Ives classic.

Have a holly jolly Christmas.

“Holly” is a plant. “Jolly” is a mood. What would a holly, jolly Christmas be, exactly? The only thing that comes to mind is one of those singing Big Mouth Billy Bass plaques — but instead of a fish, it’s holly, and instead of singing “Take Me to the River,” it sings “Jingle Bell Rock.”

It’s the best time of the year.

If you don’t count any other time of year, I suppose Burl (and the holiday songwriting guru Johnny) has a point. I really don’t mean to be a downer—but Christmas falls in a pretty chilly, often snowy, dark-dark-abyss time of the year.

And who among us relishes compelled time with extended family? Perhaps the lyric was originally written as…