The majority of Christmas standards were written during a golden era of the 1940s and 1950s, but every decade since has produced its share of holiday gold. “Last Christmas” by Wham! is the clear winner for the ’80s.
Released on December 3rd, 1984, the track has been on heavy shuffle on the radio for over forty years, despite a tonal palette that has come in and out of vogue over the decades. Vocalist George Michael wrote the song and recorded all its parts with a LinnDrum drum machine and a Roland Juno-60 synthesizer. Some sleigh bells add a Christmas touch to an otherwise electronic atmosphere.
However, the power of composition takes on a new meaning when played on acoustic instruments. Case in point: this violin cover of “Last Christmas” by Alan Milan.
Even without lyrics, this instrumental arrangement carries weight and emotion, thanks in part to Michael’s simple, precise composition. Like many pop songs, “Last Christmas” has a simple four-chord progression. Both the original and the cover are in the key of D, with chord changes of D, Bmin, Emin, and A, corresponding to I-vi-ii-V in the numerical system.
The progression never changes throughout the song, leaving the focus on the song’s singable, stepwise melody. Although the song is in a major key, the melody has a bittersweet contour, which adds to its allure. The lyrics describe a failed relationship with Christmas, marking the anniversary of sadness.
As American Songwriter puts it, “The dichotomy between the cheerful track and the singer’s despair creates tension. And the chord progression doesn’t change from the verse to the chorus. But the arrangement works, keeping the listeners’ emphasis on Michael.”
In the case of Milan’s cover, the emphasis remains on his violin, which effectively replaces Michael’s vocal line. He delivers the melody in his own way, using vibrato, slides, and dynamic swells to carve out emotional peaks.
After a brief violin and piano intro, he sets up the song’s famous beat by adding drums and electric guitar. He goes through the chord progression once before the violin enters with the chorus melody. Milan digs in with a quicker bow to make the music feel like it’s surging forward. He also gives shape to the end of each phrase by putting a bit of vibrato on sustained notes.
Where the chorus is fuller and forward, he plays the verse with softer dynamics to create a more conversational tone. Although he recreates the song’s general instrumentation, the violin’s softer texture gives the song a warmer, more intimate feeling, in contrast to the glossy 80s synth sheen of the original.
As great as the Wham! performance is, “Last Christmas” has stayed in our collective psyche for its timeless, bittersweet melody and emotional arc. This combination can withstand any change in instrumentation, and Milan’s version is a clear example of how powerfully a single violin can reveal a song’s quiet heartbreak.
Get the sheet music for “Last Christmas”:
