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White Christmas: The Story Behind the Song

By Jill on Dec 21, 2007 in Featured, General

Seasons Greetings!

I want to extend my sincere gratitude and wish you a warm and wonderful Holiday Season.Â We at GoalGuru.com have the distinct privilege of working with amazing people from over 58 countries, so wherever you are and however you celebrate the season, we wish you the very best.

I also want to take this opportunity to tell you the remarkable story behind a legendary Holiday song that almost never was.

Back in 1939, a Russian Jewish immigrant songwriter was away from home for an extended time, working on a movie in Beverly Hills.

Legend has it he was homesick while separated from his wife and children, and at that time, wrote some parts of a song and then stored away the incomplete, half written work in a “song trunk.”

After two long years had passed, he dusted off the half writtenÂ song and put the finishing touches on it.

He called it the best song he’s ever written.

It was a simple song.

54 words.

67 notes.

The songwriter was Irving Berlin.

The song was White Christmas.

It became theÂ biggest selling song of all time. In fact, Bing Crosby’s version of the single sold more than 50 million copies.Â The Guinness Book of World Records currently lists the song as a 100 million seller.Â

To this day, it is an enduring symbol of Christmas, the spiritÂ of the Holiday season and evokes warm, loving memories.

It has been recorded thousands of times by countless artists and featured in countless movies.

Ivring Berlin could neither read nor write musical notation but still managed to compose over 1000 other songs, which are considered the foundation of our American songbook.

Think about it.

The biggest selling song in history, the definitive Christmas song, written by a Russian Jewish immigrant who had no exposure to the Christmas holiday as a child.

The biggest selling song in history written by someone who could not read or write musical notation.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do something.

What unfinished “song,” idea or project do you have stored away somewhere, perhaps in a drawer, in a box, or even in your own imagination?

What dream lives in your heart that you long to share with the world?

What gifts have you been blessed with that you’re not fully giving yet?

Perhaps the time wasn’t right, or you were not quite ready to step into your own greatness yet.

Perhaps now is the time.

Perhaps 2008 is the year you are meant to bring it to life.

What dreams could you reignite if you dusted them off and brought them to life?

Now is your time.

As we head into the 2008, you are given the chance to begin anewâ€¦

Any dream.