BACKSTORY: The Carpenters’ “Merry Christmas, Darling”

Q: Is the Carpenters' Christmas song MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING an original song or is it a remake of an older song?

A: Both. The lyrics were originally written in the mid-1940's by Frank Pooler, based around the phrase "Merry Christmas, darling" that was used by his acquaintances and himself. In 1966 Pooler asked Richard Carpenter if he would set his lyrics to music; Richard did, and he & Karen performed the song at Christmas parties for several years. When the Carpenters finally found success in 1970, they decided to record the song and it's been a Christmas standard ever since.