When Alan Jackson released Honky Tonk Christmas in 1993, fans expected lighthearted holiday cheer delivered with his signature neotraditional charm. What they didn’t expect was for one of the album’s most enduring tracks to be a song steeped not in celebration, but in struggle—a soft, aching reminder that the holidays can be as heavy as they are bright.

That song, If We Make It Through December, originally written and recorded by Merle Haggard in 1973, had long been a staple of American country music. Haggard’s version captured the worry and resilience of working-class families navigating hard times. It was a December song for people who weren’t sure they’d make it to January. Two decades later, Alan Jackson breathed new life into the classic, bringing to it a gentleness and emotional clarity that resonated deeply with listeners navigating their own hardships.

More than a cover, Jackson’s rendition became a bridge between generations—linking Haggard’s legacy of blue-collar storytelling to Jackson’s own brand of heartfelt authenticity.

A song born from struggle, renewed by sincerity

Haggard wrote If We Make It Through December during a period when economic hardship shaped the lives of millions. Its central character—recently laid off, trying to stay strong for his daughter—speaks for anyone who has ever felt the weight of the holidays rather than their promise.

Alan Jackson, himself the son of a small Georgia town, understood that world deeply. And when he recorded the song for Honky Tonk Christmas, he didn’t simply replicate Merle Haggard’s approach. Instead, he sang it with the quiet conviction of someone who had met those struggles face-to-face.

Jackson’s drawl is warm, steady, unmistakably human. When he sings the opening lines—

“If we make it through December, everything’s gonna be all right, I know…”

—it feels less like a performance and more like a conversation you might hear at a kitchen table late at night, when the bills are stacked too high and the lights on the Christmas tree glow a little softer.

A holiday album that understood real life

Honky Tonk Christmas stands apart from many holiday albums of the era because it refuses to decorate reality with glitter. Sure, the record includes playful moments and upbeat charm, but Jackson made a bold choice to let sadness live among the sleigh bells.

On a record where joy is threaded through struggle, If We Make It Through December becomes the emotional centerpiece. The instrumentation is intentionally restrained—light steel guitar, gentle piano, and a slow, steady rhythm that feels like walking through cold air at dusk. Nothing is overly polished. Nothing is rushed.

This simplicity gives space for the lyrics to breathe, and for listeners to confront the truth: not everyone feels festive in December. Not everyone sees the holiday lights the same way. For many, the season is a test of endurance.

And yet, Jackson never lets the song fall into despair. Instead, he delivers it with a quiet, unshakeable hope—one that doesn’t deny hardship, but refuses to be defeated by it.

Why Alan Jackson’s version feels timeless

Every great cover asks a question: What does this artist see in the song that others may have overlooked?

For Jackson, the answer lies in vulnerability. His interpretation softens the rough edges of Haggard’s original, painting the narrator not just as a man struggling to get by, but as a father clinging to hope for the sake of someone he loves. Jackson emphasizes tenderness over frustration, resilience over defeat.

This emotional shift makes the song more intimate, more personal, and—ironically—more universal. Listeners hear themselves in the pauses between his lines, in the ache of his delivery, in the knowledge that December can be a season of both beauty and burden.

Country music historian and fans alike often point to this track as one of the most moving performances of Jackson’s holiday catalog. It showcases what he does best: telling the truth through simple language, letting emotion rise naturally rather than theatrically.

A tribute to Merle Haggard’s legacy

Alan Jackson has never hidden his admiration for Merle Haggard. Haggard’s influence runs through Jackson’s songwriting, vocal phrasing, and understanding of the everyday struggles that shape American life. Covering If We Make It Through December wasn’t just a musical decision—it was a personal one.

In honoring Haggard’s original vision, Jackson ensured that the song reached a new generation who may not have grown up with 1970s country radio. Many fans first discovered the classic through Jackson’s voice, only later tracing it back to Haggard’s pen. In this way, Jackson became both student and teacher—preserving history while carrying it forward.

A Christmas song for the people who need one most

Every December, listeners return to this track not because it is cheerful, but because it is honest. It speaks to:

Families working two jobs to make ends meet

Parents worried about giving their children a Christmas worth remembering

People missing someone who won’t be home for the holidays

Anyone enduring a winter of their own—emotionally, financially, spiritually

Jackson’s performance offers comfort without platitudes. It acknowledges hardship while promising that better days still exist on the other side of the cold.

In a season dominated by songs about snowmen, Santa Claus, and sleigh rides, If We Make It Through December is a reminder that the truest holiday stories are the ones rooted in real life.

Why the song still matters today

Three decades after Jackson recorded it—and five decades after Haggard first wrote it—the song remains deeply relevant. Economic challenges persist. Families face uncertainty year after year. And the holidays continue to amplify both joy and struggle.

Alan Jackson’s rendition endures not because it captures a moment in time, but because it speaks to every December that feels like a mountain to climb.

It is a song for anyone who has ever looked at the calendar and whispered, “If we can just get through this month…”

And it is a reminder that sometimes, surviving is its own kind of celebration.

A holiday classic built on truth, not tinsel

In the end, Alan Jackson didn’t reinvent If We Make It Through December.

He revealed something that was always there:

A heartbeat.

A story.

A truth that resonates far beyond Christmas lights and wrapping paper.

For longtime fans, the song feels like coming home—

not to perfection,

not to plenty,

but to the simple, enduring hope that gets us through the hardest seasons.

And perhaps that is why the song remains one of the most quietly powerful holiday performances in modern country music:

because it understands that even in the coldest month, warmth can still be found in honesty.

Even in December, hope remains.