Cody Johnson Tips His Hat To Merle Haggard With Cover Of “If We Make It Through December”

Hear Cody Johnson’s Version Of Merle Haggard’s Classic Song, “If We Make It Through December”

Cody Johnson often tips his hat to the country legends who paved the way for him, especially Merle Haggard. He’s covered Haggard’s songs many times in the past, including “The Bottle Let Me Down” and “Footlights.”

Johnson even has his own song that serves as an ode to Haggard and his music. It’s called “Monday Morning Merle,” and was featured on his 2019 album Ain’t Nothin’ to It.

Not to mention, Johnson once covered Haggard’s classic holiday tune, “If We Make It Through December.” The Hag wrote the song entirely on his own, and it was released in October 1973.

The Story Behind “If We Make It Through December”

“If We Make It Through December” was first released as the lead single from the album Merle Haggard’s Christmas Present. It later served as the title track of a non-holiday record Haggard released in February 1974.

The song is themed around Christmas, and follows an unemployed father who is struggling to make ends meet. He worries about making the holiday season special for his young daughter, as Haggard sings:

“Now I don’t mean to hate December, it’s meant to be the happy time of year. And my little girl don’t understand, why daddy can’t afford no Christmas here.”

Despite his circumstances, the father says he knows “everything’s gonna be alright” if he can simply make it through the month of December.

RELATED: MERLE HAGGARD SINGS HIS CHRISTMAS TUNE “IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH DECEMBER”

“If We Make It Through December” reached the #1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. It also crossed over to claim the 28th spot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

Hear Cody Johnson Sing Merle Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December” In The Video Below

“If We Make It Through December” has been covered many times since Haggard released his original recording. Artists such as Marty Robbins, Faron Young, and Joey + Rory have all recorded their own versions of the song.

Johnson shared video of himself performing the tune live in 2021. The video shows him singing in front of a fireplace and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Johnson played guitar throughout the song, and was accompanied by one friend playing banjo and another playing fiddle.

Head below to watch Johnson’s captivating performance of Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December.” It’s country to the core, just as you’d expect.