Little Big Town Performs Merle Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December” at the Grand Ole Opry
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Little Big Town Hosts Christmas at the Opry Television Special
On Monday, December 16, some of country music’s biggest stars celebrated the holiday season on the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage for the TV special Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry.Â
The event was hosted by the three-time Grammy-winning country group. The night’s star-studded lineup included performances by Sheryl Crow, Kelsea Ballerini and Kate Hudson, Dan + Shay, and more.
Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry aired on NBC. If you’d like to watch the special at home, it is now available for streaming exclusively on Peacock.
Little Big Town Performs a Merle Haggard Classic for Christmas at the Opry
During the special, Little Big Town took a break from their hosting duties to deliver a few performances of their own. However, a standout moment from the night was their cover of Merle Haggard’s song “If We Make It Through December.”
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“If We Make It Through December” has been a holiday go-to for many years. Merle Haggard released the track in 1973 as the lead single from his album Merle Haggard’s Christmas Present.
The song takes a different tone compared to most cheerful holiday tunes. Its lyrics tell the story of a working-class man struggling to get through the holiday season. After being laid off from his job, he can’t afford presents this year. But, the man knows that if he can just “make it through December,” everything will be okay.
The track has been covered by many artists over the years, including Tim McGraw and Cody Johnson.
When it was time for Little Big Town to perform “If We Make It Through December,” the group kept it simple. All four members sat on stools, with the Opry stage decorated with only a few Christmas trees.
They delivered an acoustic rendition of the iconic holiday song. Members Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook played guitar as they joined Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild in singing the lyrics.
Watch Little Big Town perform “If We Make It Through December” in the video below.
