B-E-R-L-I-N: Irving's 'Merry' Moxie

“White Christmas” has long been one of my favorite Christmas songs.

The lyrics are so full of gentle longing and hope and nostalgia, and yet the music is tinged with no small amount of melancholy. There’s no denying it; even as we sing “May your days be merry and bright” the notes swell with an aching sadness. We follow the notes up in a wispy descent, releasing the words “…and may all your Christmases be white” as if they are a prayer lifted to heaven.

Perhaps the song was intended to be such. Irving Berlin, the man who wrote the lyrics and music to “White Christmas” and hundreds of other well-loved classics of the great American songbook, suffered a profound loss when his infant son Irving Jr. died on Christmas Day of 1928. Maybe his little boy was on his mind years later when he wrote his famous Christmas song, and the melancholy I hear in the tune is a shadow of the grief that clouded the holidays for the rest of his life.

It takes moxie to turn heartbreak into hope, and Berlin had it. Here’s how:

Moxie endures.

Irving Berlin’s story is uniquely and gloriously American. He was born in Russia in 1888, the youngest of eight children. The family was Jewish and his father served as a cantor at the local synagogue. They were forced to flee Russia due to violent persecution. One of Berlin’s only memories of his early years was watching the family’s home burn to the ground.

The family found refuge in New York City, but their peace did not last long. When young Irving was just eight years old, his father died. Like many young children of his time and place, Irving took to the streets to help the family survive. He sold newspapers and found work as a waiter. While waiting tables, he discovered he could increase his tips by singing the favorite songs of the day. He began busking in the streets and taught himself to pick out tunes on the piano. He laddered from one opportunity to the next, writing songs for Tin Pan Alley and Broadway until he hit it big with “Alexander’s Rag Time Band” in 1911.

Berlin worked harder and worked smarter to survive. In so many ways, Berlin exemplifies all that we hope America and Americans can be. America gave Berlin the opportunity to thrive, and Berlin made the most of the opportunity. That takes moxie.

Moxie loves.

Berlin's love for America ran deep. According to one biographer, “patriotism was Berlin’s true religion.” According to lore, Berlin’s mother would often say “God bless America” with fervent and genuine gratitude for the country that had opened its arms and offered refuge to her family. Berlin memorialized his mother’s thankfulness in the song “God Bless America,” which rose to prominence in the face of rising nationalism. He donated the song’s royalties to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

It wasn’t the last time Berlin would express his gratitude with extravagant generosity. He also donated all the earnings from his Broadway musical “This is the Army” to the U.S. Army Emergency Relief fund. The gift totaled a staggering $9.5 million.

So strong was his patriotism that he refused to shelter his considerable earnings from taxes, according to his daughter. He gladly paid taxes because he believed so strongly in America.

Berlin had the moxie to live with gratitude and put his gratitude into action.

Moxie produces.

Over the course of his 60-year career, Berlin churned out an astounding 1,500 songs. He created much of the soundtrack of our holidays, including “Easter Parade” and “Happy Holidays.” In addition to his holiday hits, he wrote standards like "Cheek to Cheek," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Blue Skies" and "Puttin' On the Ritz." His work is lauded for its natural grasp of popular vernacular and seemingly effortless sophistication.

At the height of his career, he wrote daily, usually beginning after dinner and working through the night. He was only able to play in a single key, so he worked on special pianos that would allow him to shift keys using a lever. He relied on a musical secretary to score his tunes.

Berlin believed in hard work, and his songs reflect his dedication to his craft. He honed his skills every day and labored over each song with determination. He took nothing for granted.

What is your favorite Irving Berlin tune?